Can High Court be the judge of PA conduct?

The LHC questioned the maintain­ability of the petition against the resolution adopted by the PA against the media.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday questioned the maintainability of the petition against the resolution adopted by the Punjab Assembly (PA) against the media.

The judge told the petitioner that proceedings of the assembly could not be challenged. Before arguing on the petition, he said, he should show its maintainability. At this the counsel for the petitioner sought time and the court adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed later.

Advocate Masud Gujjar had filed the petition. He asserted that the members of Provincial Assembly had transgressed their domain in passing the resolution, as it was a violation of Article 19 and 25 of the Constitution.

According to Article 25 of the Constitution, the citizens are equal in the eyes of the law. He pleaded that the resolution passed against the media should be condemned and that legal proceedings should be initiated against those behind the move and the passage of the resolution.

He also requested the court to issue orders for the immediate ‘suspension’ of the resolution.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2010.