The mission is accomplished. They are off the hook now, made themselves superior to all poor citizens. The interpreters of the constitution can no more question them [ruling elite] for any wrongdoing. They can openly criticise the apex court without any fear now.
They will be no more served with contempt of court notices for ridiculing the superior courts under the umbrella of newly amended contempt law...oh what a legislation!
They celebrated the victory along with their allies and some lawmakers including chairman Senate Nayyar Bukhari, shouted 'unanimously passed bill' despite opposition walkout.
The jubilation of Awami National Party (ANP), which claims of being a secular party, even forgot the basics of its manifesto in defence of its ally [PPP] and showered praise on the architects of contempt bill.
Haji Adeel, in his own typical pashtoon style of ANP - the so-called champion of secularism - for the first time talked of Sharia while making comparison between creator and its creatures.
"God is the creator and we all are creatures and so is in the case of parliament...it [parliament] is creator and the Supreme Court is like a creature when we see it from perspective of nature," he maintained.
"It is the parliament, which is the creator of the constitution, is supreme and all other institutions are subservient to it," he added. Overwhelmed with joy, he did not even spare the chief justice of Pakistan and questioned his authority, saying he has no right to declare the constitution supreme as compared to parliament - its creator.
Amid applause and desk thumping from enthusiastic PPP and allies parties' senators who were anxiously waiting to sail the bill through Senate to enable it to become law as soon as possible, Haji Adeel further elaborated that if we had to implement Sharia, it would be the parliament not Supreme Court.
Stunned by the remarks of an old ANP heavyweight, another Baloch nationalist Senator Hasil Khan Bazenjo reminded him to keep the pace slow. Banzenjo laughed-off Adeel's statement, saying that fellow colleague crossed all limits in love of his allies that he even forgot the manifesto of his party, which has been advocating for a secular Pakistan since its creation.
Aitzaz Ahsan objected to the bill but flayed the court verdict, in which former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had to face disqualification in contempt of court case.
The brilliant Aitzaz, who was Gilani's lead counsel, seemed a bit upset as his client had already gone home but there was no use of crying over the spilt milk. Recalling the apex court recent judgement against his client, he said that despite no evidence, no charge-sheet and even nothing was proved in the arguments before the bench, his client was shown the door on the pretext of contempt. "Sometimes the courts simply cross the limits," he regretted.
The most interesting speech was delivered by Senator Farhatullah Babar, who is also presidential spokesman, which made him a laughing stock among his fellow senators while interpreting a statement of recently appointed chief election commissioner, former Justice Fakhruddin G Ebrahim about the contempt bill.
Fakhruddin had said that four person of his stature would be required to make head or tail of the contempt bill, but out of emotions, Babar interpreted the designated CEC's statement optimistically.
"Actually, Fakhru bhayi meant four eminent jurists of his caliber can not carve such a peace of legislation as was done by law minister Farooq H Naek, for which the minister deserves heartiest felicitations," he enthusiastically declared. This is the level of our leaders' wisdom...!
It was the contempt of court law, through which the corrupt police, slave bureaucracy and half-literate arrogant politicians could have been reined in by the Supreme Court. But now they have been given free hand to ridicule the independent judiciary - the sole saviour of this land, as was being done in the past.
But we should not give up. The majority of Pakistanis believe in independence of judiciary. We don't need any corrupt leaders to decide our destiny.
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