Government files review-petition against court’s verdict

In order to fight the battle on legal grounds, the government has filed a review petition against ruling of the Supreme Court that declared Contempt of Court Act 2012 null and void.

Abdul Shakoor Paracha, the counsel for federation filed the petition on behalf of the government.

A five-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry nullified the act, citing various sections of the law are contradictory to the Constitution. It said the law was an effort to curb the authority of the apex court

The ruling of the court was a clear declaration that it has the right to hold anyone in contempt, regardless of their office.

President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also co-chairman of the party, had held sittings with his legal experts to discuss options to save his second premier from being dismissed. It is vital to mention here that the there was no immunity for the premier in the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case.

Law Minister Farooq H Naek had given detailed briefings to President Zardari over the matter.

The government has already seen one of its premiers sent packing on contempt charges after he defied court orders regarding writing a letter to Swiss authorities and a similar fate hangs over Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who has also thus far demurred from writing the letter to the Swiss authorities.

The review petition came in the backdrop of the issuing of a show-cause notice for contempt of court to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf over his failure to implement the court’s ruling of writing a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Pakistan People’s Party’s frontline leaders met and expressed determination to resist within the bounds of law and the Constitution the emergence of new centres of legislative power other than the elected parliament”.

Presidential spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said, “Lawmaking is the sacred responsibility of legislature which will not be abandoned at any cost”.

Legal experts believe the confrontation between the government and the judiciary would intensify in the days to come as they expect that Prime Minister Ashraf could also be ousted like his predecessor was removed for contempt of court.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Aug 8 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.