NA gives nod for establishing Islamabad High Court

The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill to establish a high court in Islamabad, but not before Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had to persuade Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers to give up their opposition to the legislation.

In what appears to be the party’s new political policy, legislators from the PML-N put on their game faces, seeming ready for a confrontation with the government, as Law Minister Babar Awan introduced the bill in the House.

And opposition lawmakers were close to success in their attempt to seek a debate on the bill before Gilani jumped in with his magical troubleshooting skills to convince them to support it.

All this happened in the National Assembly a day after PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif warned the government to improve its performance or face rough-and-tough opposition from his party.

The PML-N has hitherto been supporting the government on all national issues, especially in terms of legislation – a policy that earned them the label of “friendly opposition” from critics.

But it now looks like the party has decided to take it to the government both in and outside the Parliament.

PML-N Anusha Rehman Khan said that her party was not against establishing the high court in the federal capital but was opposed to the way the government introduce the bill in the House.

Anusha and some other party colleagues warned the government against rushing the bill through the House, and at one point it looked like they were preparing to block it.

But then came the magic of Gilani, who called angry members of the PML-N to his chamber during a prayer break and was able to convince them to give up their opposition – a move that later led to the unanimous passage of the bill.

The same bill was first passed by the lower house of parliament in May, but the government had to bring it back to incorporate amendments proposed by the Senate.

A high court in the federal capital was first established by former President Pervez Musharraf in November 2007.

But the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in its verdict on July 31, 2009.

A parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms had recently proposed the reestablishing of the high court in the federal capital in Clause 1 of Article 175 of the amended constitution.

Dr Awan said that the bill was a follow up of the 18th constitutional amendment that the parliament has already approved.

Taliban-styled murders

A Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) legislator from southern Punjab drew the House’s attention to reports from Bahawalpur division suggesting that some individuals who supported law-enforcement agencies against jihadi outfits were targeted by militants.

MNA Riaz Pirzada said the target killing of government supporters appeared to be similar to what the Taliban did in the tribal regions when they first emerged half a decade ago.

He urged the government to take actions against this trend.

Earlier, MQM lawmakers staged a token walk out to protest an incident in which the house of one of its MPs was allegedly forcibly taken over by land-grabbers in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2010.