News
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Senate passes contempt bill* PML-N protests, walks out
* Barrister Aitzaz, Raza Rabbani express reservations
* Senator Dar says it is black day for country
* PPP senators criticise courts, chief justice
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Wednesday approved the contempt of court bill – already passed by the National Assembly on July 9 – amid the protest and walkout of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the reservations expressed by two important members of the ruling party, Barister Aitzaz Ahsan and Mian Raza Rabbani.
When Law Minister Farooq H Naek presented the bill, opposition members made hue and cry. They said it was against the rules and asked the government to take it back and reconsider it. However, Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari accepted the bill. PML-N leader Zafar Ali Shah was of the view that the government should not make haste as it had 90 days to present the bill. Raja Zafarul Haq of the PML-N also expressed similar views.
PML-N leader Ishaq Dar said it was a black day in the history of country. “The law was based on malafide intensions and sought immunity for corrupt people,” he added. Another PML-N senator, Rafiq Rajwana, said the draft of the law was made in haste to save certain people. “The government has to write to Swiss authorities to resolve the issue. The government is demanding immunity for those who are involved in corruption,” he said.
Ruling party leader Senator Aitzaz Ahsan expressed reservations over some sections of the bill. If the government passed the law in current shape, there was a possibility that the court might strike it down, he said, adding that there was a need to correct at least two sections of the law. “Today we are in government and tomorrow we may be sitting on opposition benches. In such situation, if we move to courts, they will tell us that the law was made by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP),” he said.
However, Aitzaz also said that there had been misuse of the contempt of court law, adding that a person (the former prime minister) had appeared in court for three times but the court never asked him about the contempt of court and later he was awarded a punishment. He also said that contempt of court law contradicted the fundamental right of expression.
Senator Mian Raza Rabbani of the PPP said the country required harmony and maturity keeping in view the internal and external situation, adding that courts also had to show maturity and both the government and judiciary must avoid tussle. In some countries no such law could exist but there existed respect of rules of law and court orders were strictly enforced, he said. Keeping in view some facts, Rabbani said,if the law was put in front of courts, it might get rejected. Therefore, he suggested, it was better not to pursue the law in its current form.
ANP Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel criticised judiciary. He said courts’ decisions were accepted by the government, adding that time would show which of their decisions were right and which were wrong. He said the chief justice could not give a verdict in his son’s case, but quickly decided against the government. He regretted that had the government established constitutional courts under the 18th Amendment, there would have been no need for any such law.
Another ANP leader, Senator Azam Khan Hoti, asked the Senate chairman to give his ruling whether he was allowed to speak on the matter from the floor of the House, adding that otherwise he could also be charged with contempt of court. The chair should also clarify whether parliament was supreme or constitution, he asked. “Parliament made this constitution and can also amend it,” he said.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk