Lawmakers asked to rise above political differences in ECP case

Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday asked the lawmakers to rise above their political differences and make constitutional provisions workable.

“It is a test of and challenge for every member of the Majlis-i-Shoora (parlia­ment) in general and the leaders of the house and opposition in particular to honour every word of the oath and establish that they are truly ameen of the trust reposed in them by the people of Pakistan,” IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed in an order issued in a case relating to appointment of two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

National Assembly Secretary Tahir Hussain appeared before the court and informed it that considerable progress had been made by the parliamentary committee and it is expected that the treasury and opposition benches will be able to amicably resolve the issue regarding appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and two members of the ECP.

He apprised the court of efforts made by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in this regard. He made a request on their behalf to adjourn the matter so that the issue could be resolved by parliament.

The court in its order reiterated that the dignity, authority and supremacy of parliament was of paramount importance and intervention by courts was neither desirable nor in consonance with the intent of the framers of the Constitution.

“Every member of the Majlis-i-Shoora has taken oath in the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merci­ful to perform functions honestly, to the best of ability, faithfully and to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. Moreover, Article 62(f) explicitly provides that a person elected as a member shall be sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and ameen,” the order read.

The court expressed confidence that the representatives of the country’s people elected to parliament would resolve the issue relating to appointment of the CEC and two members of the ECP before the next date fixed as true “ameen” of the confidence reposed in them by the people of Pakistan and uphold the Constitution for which they have taken the oath.

The court once again recorded its appreciation for the role and efforts of the Senate chairman and the National Assembly speaker and set Jan 31 as the next date of hearing.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly speaker has said that the issue of appointment of the CEC and two ECP members should be resolved by parliament in order to uphold its supremacy.

He said he would continue playing his role in developing a consensus between the government and the opposition.

Mr Qaiser said this during his meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi here Tuesday.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *