Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the verdict of Sindh High Court (SHC) that dismissed an application calling for initiation of contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Three-judge bench of SC headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim announced the verdict on an appeal filed by civil rights campaigner Syed Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi who challenged the verdict of SHCs single bench that dismissed his contempt application for being non-maintainable.
Naqvi had gone to the SHC against the PM for allegedly giving contemptuous remarks about Karachi judges before the media.
Naqvi submitted in application that Sharif during the announcement of the special Anti-Terror Force on October 10 in Peshawar said that the judges in Karachi were afraid of handing down judgments in terrorism cases under the prevailing law and order situation.
He had claimed that the PM used contemptuous language against Karachi judges therefore, he did not fulfil the requirements of Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
He had pleaded the court to call the entire records relating to the country’s chief executives remarks and then initiate contempt proceedings against him under Article 204 of the Constitution and the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003.
hat sev�( o@�@�� s were removed when they refused to become part of this controversial deal. Former IGP was transferred for the same purpose, he said, adding that previous chief secretary and additional home secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah was also removed from their posts when they refused to approve the purchase.
Naqvi said that Sindh government enacted the law with malafide intention in order to purchase the APCs and other equipment including bulletproof jackets, helmets for the law enforcement agencies, illegally. The court was pleaded to declare the Act and subsequent procurements as unconstitutional and set aside the new law.
After hearing preliminary hearing, three-judge bench of the court headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim sought reports from relevant authorities within 15 days.
yle=&� -i@�� �� eight:normal’>SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE TRANSPORT SYSTEM:
He suggested key steps to improve transport system; the problem of commuter can never be resolved without mass transit system in the city. Similarly Karachi Circular Railway is required to be revived which will be helpful to improve transport system. The project of Bus Rapid Transit System along with Green line and Red line for Karachi is reportedly in the pipeline which is required to be speeded up.
The operation of CNG green buses which was suspended due to unknown circumstances must be restarted to overcome the overloading of public transport.
He said that ban on the new public service routes may be lifted which was in place since 1985, adding that investment in transport sector need to be encouraged by providing them subsidy, adding that life of the vehicles should be specified and proper bus stops be constructed and notified by the government.
A division bench headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar after going through the report directed petitioner to submit his objections to the report of Traffic DIG and adjourned the hearing of case till date to be fixed later.
The trust’s Chairman Agha Syed Attaullah Shah stated in the petition that capacity of public vehicles to carry commuters is clearly tabulated in Manual of Motor Vehicle Laws and its enforcement is inevitable for ensuring safety and security of passengers.
He said that transporters are not allowed under law to overload their vehicles and allow passengers to stand on footboards, along aisles and cling to windows and sit on rooftops of the buses. Shah said that act of transporters to overload their vehicles is also tantamount to committing murder as they put lives of commuters at risk.
He requested the court to declare the overloading of public transport buses illegal and directed transport authorities to stop all such illegal activities.
