Contempt of Court Bill to be tabled in NA

The proposed Contempt of Court Bill will be tabled in the Lower House for approval today (Monday).
The National Assembly session is likely to witness a heated debate as the opposition, PML-N, is opposed to the bill.
The Contempt of Court Bill tops the agenda of tomorrow’s session. The proposed bill has stirred an intense debate among political circles ever since it was adopted by the cabinet. The bill, if approved, will exempt prime minister, federal ministers, chief ministers and state ministers from contempt proceedings over their remarks against judges. In addition, the period of filing an appeal against contempt verdict has been extended from one month to 60 days. The government meanwhile has delayed tabling of Dual Nationality Bill due to opposition of coalition partners.

Parliament supreme as it makes constitution: Gilani

Responding to Supreme Court chief justice’s remarks, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said the constitution was supreme but the parliament brought it to existence. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Saturday said the constitution, not the parliament, was the supreme entity in Pakistan, giving a clear indication that the Supreme Court might strike down any law repugnant to the constitution. Talking to reporters at Lahore Railway Station before leaving for Multan, Gilani said Pakistan was not a failed state as the country had chosen new prime minister after his disqualification. The former prime minster said he was penalized for raising a voice for the formation of Seraiki province. To a query, he said NATO supply was not stopped on anyone’s direction rather it was halted by the government itself. “We haven’t reopened the NATO supply on the directions of anyone,” he added.