News
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Speaker’s ruling: SC issues notices to Gilani, Mirza* Court regrets govt’s decision of not filing appeal against PM’s conviction
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Accepting petitions of the PML-N and PTI against the National Assembly speaker’s May 24 ruling, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday issued notices to Speaker Fehmida Mirza, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and secretaries of the Election Commission, Cabinet Division and law.
The court, rejecting a plea to stop Prime Minister Gilani from holding his office, asked the respondents to file rejoinders on the petition until June 14. On May 24, Fehmida Mirza said that a reference could not be sent to the Election Commission for disqualification of the prime minister.
On Wednesday, the court expressed its regret over the government’s decision for not filing an appeal against the prime minister’s conviction in the contempt of court case. “Whenever you never file an appeal, you accept conviction,” the court said.
The court said that when the prime minister’s conviction was recorded, no one had requested to suspend the court’s order “which shows that the PM has accepted the conviction with sentence”.
A three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard separate petitions of similar nature, filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, Muhammad Azhar Siddique, Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi and Advocate Chaudhry Muhammad Sahwa against the NA speaker’s ruling.
SC Deputy Registrar (Judicial) Khalid Naeem told the court that Gilani, until date, had not filed an appeal at the Supreme Court. AK Dogar, appearing on behalf of Azhar Siddique, argued that Gilani was acting in a manner that was prejudicial to the integrity of the judiciary, adding that by not obeying the order, the prime minister had ridiculed the judiciary.
Hamid Ali Khan, appearing on behalf of Imran Khan, said that the speaker’s ruling had obstructed access to justice “which is violation of fundamental rights under articles 9 and 10A of the constitution”. He said the speaker’s action was detrimental to the judiciary. The case was adjourned until June 14.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk