ISLAMABAD, May 9 (APP):Members of the Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday hailed The Contempt of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) Bill, 2023, aimed at enhancing the privilege of the Parliament as the supreme institution of the country.
The bill tabled by Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon in the National Assembly was referred to the committee concerned of the House.
The draft bill intends to provide punishment for the contempt of Parliament or a committee thereof or breach of privilege of a House or a member.
Talking to APP outside the Parliament House, Member of the National Assembly Sheikh Rohale Asghar of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said the draft bill was important in the prevailing times. It should have been tabled earlier to assert the supremacy of the Parliament as per the Constitution which was the mother of all institutions.
He said the legislation would help ensure not only the dominance of the people’s rule through the Parliament but also would help curtail the smear campaign perpetrated on social media at the behest of a political party to satiate its political motives.
Sheikh Rohale, referring to Imran Khan’s alleged accusations against the senior security officers, underlined that irrespective of their differences with any institution or individual, political leaders should keep their words and criticism confined to calculated responses to avoid damaging the prestige of national institutions.
Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo of the National Party said it was high time that the distrust among the institutions should end for the stability and strengthening of democracy and the state.
He said,”China has also suggested the leadership to focus on bringing stability to the country.” Any confrontation among the institutions would be detrimental to the continuation of democracy in the country.
“All institutions enjoy a certain privilege and supremacy due to the powers enshrined in the Constitution. The legislation that intends to infringe upon the rights of the others to establish one’s supremacy will harm the democratic system.”
He added that it was advisable to have a cooperative and consultative linkage between all the institutions for the sake of national peace, development and prosperity.
Bizinjo underlined that the masses were bearing the burden of rising inflation and price hike of the daily use commodities that could be controlled only sans economic and political turmoil.