The new Contempt of Court Bill 2012 passed by the National Assembly on Monday was challenged in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday. Applicant Sadiq Baloch advocate filed the plea against the new law under Article 3-(184), praying the court to declare the new contempt law null and void as it was in violation of Article 25. The applicant made the federation and Law Ministry respondents in the application. According to the new contempt law, the president, prime minister, chief ministers and governors would be exempted from court trial in contempt of court charges. The bill was brought in the Assembly to protect PPP’s new prime minister after former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani lost his job over contempt charges. The petitioner said by proposing the bill, the government had taken an unconstitutional and unlawful step.
To the common man the new law looks exactly what it is; a blank cheque to abuse the judiciary and ignore it.
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