Pakistan apex court summons legislature officers

South Asia News

Pakistan apex court summons legislature officers

Islamabad, July 9 (IANS) Pakistan's Supreme Court has summoned the presiding officers of the national assembly, senate and all provincial legislatures in a case to decide whether those having degrees awarded by madrassas are eligible to contest elections.

While the Daily News described it as 'the most important case that might change the existing political scenario', the court move, however, has raised a constitutional conundrum: the status of the presiding officer of the apex court and that of the legislatures, both at national and provincial levels, is the same in a democracy and one cannot summon the other.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afghan Niazi said if the senate chairman and the national assembly speaker do appear before the court it would enhance the prestige and respect of the Supreme Court. Otherwise, he said, both could be represented in the court through the attorney general of Pakistan.

The court will hear a challenge to the validity of bachelor degrees of 65 members of the national assembly, senators and members of provincial assemblies belonging to the Islamist alliance, Muttahida Majilis Amal (MMA).

The MMA, according to media reports, has been engaged in back-channel parleys with President Pervez Musharraf that should he order annulment of the present eligibility to seek elections and recognise the madressa-awarded degrees, the alliance would facilitate his re-election to the presidency.

Musharraf had entered into this arrangement in 2002 to get the support of the Islamist parties for his election under a nationwide referendum, but had gone back on his promise.

Summons have been issued following a case filed by Maulvi Iqbal Haider, the chairman of the Awami Himayat Tehrik, challenging the validity of the bachelor degrees issued by religious schools.

The Supreme Court has issued notices to Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro, National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Husain and the speakers of the Punjab, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan assemblies to appear before the court.

The court has also summoned 107 people including six senators, 29 members of national assembly and 30 members of provincial assemblies, who are facing disqualification along with the opposition leader in the national assembly, Maulana Fazalur Rehman, to join the hearing that is scheduled to begin Sep 19.

Registrars of different universities have also been summoned to verify the degrees issued by their respective universities.

Latest News

Star stuff

Pakistan apex court summons legislature officers