Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) and its coalition partners have decided to introduce another new contempt of court law with a view to giving protection to the Prime Minister, it is learnt. According to sources, the proposed new contempt of court law is likely to be placed before the Parliament for passage before August 8, 2012. The Law Ministry has been directed to prepare a draft of the new contempt of court law.
The sources said the PPP leadership took its coalition partners into confidence about its new move following Supreme Court decision on Contempt of Court Act 2012 on Friday. The decision was taken at a meeting of heads of allied parties held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday night with co-chairman PPP President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in the chair.
The sources said the meeting had also discussed the prospects of filing a review petition against the present verdict of the Supreme Court declaring the new Contempt of Court Act 2012, unconstitutional, void and non est. Briefing about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the current situation was discussed and the meeting expressed its resolve that the right of Parliament to legislate would be upheld and this right would not be compromised - no matter what the odds and the cost. The power to legislate under the Constitution belonged to elected representatives alone, the meeting reiterated unequivocally.
In the context of the present situation, the spokesperson said the meeting said that there was even greater need to remain united and firm. It resolved to remain united and firm and face the emerging challenges with unity, force and conviction. The meeting was attended among others by Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Babar Khan Ghouri, Senator Abbas Khan Afridi, Munir Khan Orakzai and Hameedullah Jan Afridi.
Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar were also present during the meeting. The Spokesperson said that Prime Minister gave a detailed overview to the meeting on the current power situation in the country. The PM said that the energy situation was steadily improving and expressed the hope that the crises will soon be overcome.
Babar further said that the President directed that the cabinet decision about Zero duty on the import of solar panels should be implemented without delay so as to encourage the growth of solar power and reduce pressure on power sector. The President also advised that the small dams being built in various parts of the country should be completed on a priority basis. In this connection, the progress of work on Munda Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also discussed and the President advised that difficulties in the way of its implementation should be overcome on an urgent basis, the spokesperson said.
The meeting was also briefed by Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, who had been specially sent to Muzaffargarh to report on the damaged power pylons. Kaira informed the meeting that the damaged high voltage power pylons had been restored and the power that was disrupted has been added to the national grid. The meeting also decided that special measures would be taken to address the issues of traders and businessmen in Karachi and curb the menace of extortion with an iron hand regardless of political affiliations.
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