Matters of senate: MQM moves to empower SC

PML-N rejects drafts, calls them ‘unnecessary’.

ISLAMABAD:

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) moved two important bills in the Senate, one proposing a second apex court review of cases and the second granting it the ability to investigate and determine credible claims of factual innocence.

The first bill, titled “Supreme Court of Pakistan (Curative Review Jurisdiction) Bill 2012”, seeks explicit powers for the apex court in exceptional circumstances to extend a second review in both criminal and civil matters decided earlier by directly entertaining an application.

“Review of Innocence Claims Act 2012” was the second bill that was put forth, aimed at establishing an extraordinary procedure to investigate and determine credible claims of factual innocence in cases where a person had been awarded the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The bill provides for the creation of a special commission, which would comprise of a senior judge of the Supreme Court, three retired judges of the superior courts, two senior lawyers practicing on the criminal side, an expert in criminal prosecution and Attorney General or Additional attorney General. The cases acceptable for review would go through a screening process, the criteria for which would be decided by the proposed special commission

Talking to The Express Tribune, MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi said that though there had been cases where the Supreme Court had extended a second review to its judgments, there were no overt instructions in the law for these instances.

“An act of the parliament would greatly help the supreme court, especially in cases where new evidence surfaces,” said Mashhadi.

Both the bills were moved by MQM Senators Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Farogh Naseem and Nasreen Jalil. The bills were sent to the committees concerned despite strong opposition from Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

The house has been adjourned to meet again on Tuesday.

PPP senators join opposition-led walkout

A majority of senators from Pakistan Peoples Party and its allies joined an opposition led walkout from the upper house on Monday to protest against the shortage of clean drinking water in Gwadar.

Before leaving the house Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo of National Party (NP) demanded that the federal government immediately send over two ship- mounted desalination plants to Gwadar and Pasni.“It is the only feasible option as we know that government would not take pains to provide 0.75 million people clean drinking water through tankers or any other means,” said Bizenjo

Raja Zafarul Haq of PML-N termed the situation in Balochistan a national calamity and urged both sides of the aisle to take the matter very seriously and also suggested that the house should go on unanimously to lodge its protest over this grave issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2012.