Granting bulletproof vehicle to former CJ: Senators ask AGP to explain legal position

The lawmakers in Senate on Tuesday sought a briefing from the Attorney General (AG) for Pakistan about granting a bulletproof vehicle to former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on the directives of Islamabad High Court (IHC). The senators also questioned the fuel and maintenance charges of the bulletproof vehicle used by the former chief justice and making any amendment in the Constitution about implementation of courts' orders in such cases.
"The House seeks details from AG either the government made amendments in rules or just implemented the directions of the IHC," said Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari. He said that there were several articles like 19-A, 205, etc under which the AG had to apprise the house about any amendment in the law after IHC judgement.
Responding to a question raised by Senator Saeed Ghani regarding names of Supreme Court's former chief justices along with their perks and privileges, law minister Pervez Rashid said the ministry had written six letters to Supreme Court but there was no response.
He said the apex court was an independent institution and the government could not press for any kind of information. "Whatever information provided was conveyed verbally by the Supreme Court and there was no written reply of the letters already sent to it," he added.
He said that after the IHC verdict, a bulletproof Mercedes Benz 6000cc was provided to the former chief justice besides bearing all other expenditures such as fuel, and maintenance. At the same time, the minister said that the government had also made an intra-court appeal against the IHC verdict which was still pending. Senator Ghani said that he was not satisfied with the reply and requested the Senate chairman to refer the question to the concerned committee of the house. He said the Registrar Supreme Court also refused to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament.
Awami National Party's (ANP) Senator Zahid Khan questioned whether parliament was supreme or the Supreme Court, adding why answer to a simple question was not being provided. Supporting Saeed Ghani's question, PML-N Senator Muhammad Humza said that it was the right of the parliamentarians to ask any kind of questions. "If asking a question is the right of a senator, then not responding to it should be deemed contempt of the House," he added.
PPP's Senator Kazim Khan said the law should not be applied to a single person, rather it should be for all. The Senate Chairman said that the chair would give its ruling after listening to the AG and other legal experts. He asked the legal experts including opposition leader Chaudhary Aitzaz Ahsan, Baber Awan and Rafiq Rajwana to assist the chair before making any decision.
He directed the AG to come to the house and explain the legal position over the matter. Later, the combined opposition senators staged a walkout against change in route of Pakistan China Economic Corridor, terming it injustice with backward areas of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some parts of Punjab. On a point of order, ANP Senator Haji Adeel said the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan issued a statement that route of the corridor was changed due to law and order situation. He said the government should clear its stance over the embassy's statement.
Senator Abdur Rauf from Balochistan and Zahid Khan also spoke against the change in route of the corridor. The Standing Committee on Law and Justice presented four reports on bills seeking amendments to the Constitution, while the Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile Industry presented its report for March 2012-2015 during the sitting. In addition, the first quarterly report of the State Bank of Pakistan's Central Board for the fiscal year 2014-15 was presented by the state minister for parliamentary affairs Sheikh Aftab. The house also took up a calling attention notice moved by ANP lawmakers regarding non-provision of funds for ongoing gas projects in Lower Dir. The house was adjourned to meet again on Wednesday at 3pm.