ISLAMABAD: Senators belonging to the ruling coalition parties of Pakistan on Wednesday urged the judiciary to respect elected representatives and exercise restraint while issuing summons and contempt notices to top government officials.
Addressing the Senate, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that parliament is the supreme institution and the people of Pakistan are the creators of the Constitution — under which all institutions function.
He also called for stopping institutional interference, stating that the Constitution directed all institutions to work within their domain.
He added that those Constitutional institutions that are meddling must not interfere in the domain of other institutions.
The law minister said the contempt of notice powers should not be used as a “weapon” against politicians.
He said there was a need for self-accountability to learn lessons from history.
Tarar added that his party was not happy over the incarceration of the politicians and lamented the “victimization” of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders via adverse court rulings.
Recalling the disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Tarar questioned whether only politicians will remain at the receiving end?
However, in the same address, he also denied the reports of rifts between the institutions.
MQM-P Senator Demands Code of Conduct
Addressing the House, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Senator Faisal Sabzwari demanded formulating a code of conduct to determine “who could be insulted”.
He said that everyone is respected except for elected representatives who receive hundreds of thousands of votes.
Sabzwari said the Constitution also spoke about the dignity of the elected representatives, regretting that the politicians are disrespected frequently.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, PML-N Senator Talal Chaudhry said his party always respected the court’s rulings.
He said the PML-N leaders faced contempt of court notices with “open heart”. I was targeted by contempt of court, that is why I am standing by an ideology, Talal added.
He said the prestige of the courts cannot be elevated by punishing the legislators.
