After the National Assembly, the ‘contempt of parliament’ measure glides through the Senate.

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – The Senate approved a ‘contempt of parliament’ measure, which recommends a six-month sentence for violating any of its members’ privileges.

The National Assembly had already enacted the ‘Contempt of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) Bill’ in May.

The measure was not referred to the Senate’s standing committee, but it was nevertheless enacted by the upper chamber since it was brought via a supplemental agenda.

The measure has now been forwarded to the president for his approval, and it will become an act of parliament.

Senators from Balochistan and Punjab introduced the measure.

Senators Kauda Babar, Naseebullah Bazai, Sarfraz Bugti, Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai, and Rana Mahmoodul Hassan introduced the measure, which was subsequently approved by voice vote by the upper chamber.

Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan said that since the law was approved unanimously by the National Assembly, it should be considered for vote without being referred to the relevant standing committee.

It is worth noting that the measure was enacted at a time when a conflict between the legislature and the courts is in full force. The legislature accuses the judiciary of intruding in the domains of the executive and the legislature.

The parliamentary contempt committee would be constituted by the NA speaker under the proposed legislation, and would consist of five members: three from the NA and two from the Senate.

The secretary of the National Assembly shall serve as the secretary of the aforementioned contempt committee.

The statute gives the speaker the authority to form the contempt committee within thirty days of the act’s enactment.

Four members will be nominated by the leaders of the house and the opposition in both houses, while the NA Speaker will declare one member.

The committee will have the authority to impose sanctions by majority vote. “Whoever commits contempt under this act shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or with a fine not exceeding one million rupees, or with both,” the law states.
“The Contempt Committee shall have the same powers as civil courts under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in order to compel the attendance of any person and the production of documents,” the bill states.

All committee proceedings shall be quasi-judicial in nature, and any document produced or evidence recorded by the committee shall not be admitted as evidence in any court.

“A person is guilty of contempt under this act if he is found to have willfully breached the privilege of a member, a House, or a committee; violated any law granting the immunities or privileges of members; failed or refused to obey any order or direction of a House or a committee; refused to give evidence or recorded a false statement before a committee; attempted or influenced a witness either by intimidation, threat, or use of force to prevent him from providing testimony