Voicing concerns: Senate condemns profane movie
Presidential spokesman criticises election commission in dual nationality case.
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the recently-released blasphemous movie and labelled it as a vilification campaign touted by some western elements, lobbies and countries to malign Islam, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Quran.
On the first day of the new session, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Ishaq Dar moved the resolution that said that all this was being done on the pretext and behind the smokescreen of freedom of speech and expression.
“The Senate of Pakistan strongly recommends that the right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression, should not be allowed to be abused to create inter-faith fissures and to hurt sentiments of followers of a certain faith, which in this case happen to be the largest religious denomination of the world after Christians,” reads the text of the resolution.
Dual nationality issue
Speaking on a point of order Senator Farhatullah Babar, who is also spokesman to President Asif Ai Zardari, took exception to the instructions given by the election commission to sign fresh declarations about their nationality.
He said it was ironic that they had already signed such declarations at the time of filing nomination papers, and were being asked to submit fresh ones.
Babar stated that there is no quarrel with the Constitutional position on nationality and election to parliament. “There is also no quarrel with requiring MPs to submit declarations which they had actually signed at the time of elections.”
“Signing declarations is not the issue but the issue is why fresh declarations are being sought... to paint MPs as liars. What happened to Jehangir Bader last night and the fresh declarations were symptoms of a systematic plan to erode parliament’s authority and show it disrespect? There seems to be a systematic plan to ridicule MPs,” he said.
He argued that the contempt law passed by the elected parliament was annulled by the Supreme Court which itself enacted the law by resurrecting the contempt law given by a military dictator. The Senator said that the entire parliament should not be punished or held in contempt for the wrong affidavits given by some.
“The parliament never criticised the judiciary as an institution just because some of them had taken oath under the PCO. Similarly, the parliament should not be ridiculed for the wrong done by some of it members.” Elaborating he said that the legislators did not raise the question of Dr Arsalan Iftikhar in parliament out of respect for the judiciary.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2012.
The Senate on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the recently-released blasphemous movie and labelled it as a vilification campaign touted by some western elements, lobbies and countries to malign Islam, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Quran.
On the first day of the new session, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Ishaq Dar moved the resolution that said that all this was being done on the pretext and behind the smokescreen of freedom of speech and expression.
“The Senate of Pakistan strongly recommends that the right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression, should not be allowed to be abused to create inter-faith fissures and to hurt sentiments of followers of a certain faith, which in this case happen to be the largest religious denomination of the world after Christians,” reads the text of the resolution.
Dual nationality issue
Speaking on a point of order Senator Farhatullah Babar, who is also spokesman to President Asif Ai Zardari, took exception to the instructions given by the election commission to sign fresh declarations about their nationality.
He said it was ironic that they had already signed such declarations at the time of filing nomination papers, and were being asked to submit fresh ones.
Babar stated that there is no quarrel with the Constitutional position on nationality and election to parliament. “There is also no quarrel with requiring MPs to submit declarations which they had actually signed at the time of elections.”
“Signing declarations is not the issue but the issue is why fresh declarations are being sought... to paint MPs as liars. What happened to Jehangir Bader last night and the fresh declarations were symptoms of a systematic plan to erode parliament’s authority and show it disrespect? There seems to be a systematic plan to ridicule MPs,” he said.
He argued that the contempt law passed by the elected parliament was annulled by the Supreme Court which itself enacted the law by resurrecting the contempt law given by a military dictator. The Senator said that the entire parliament should not be punished or held in contempt for the wrong affidavits given by some.
“The parliament never criticised the judiciary as an institution just because some of them had taken oath under the PCO. Similarly, the parliament should not be ridiculed for the wrong done by some of it members.” Elaborating he said that the legislators did not raise the question of Dr Arsalan Iftikhar in parliament out of respect for the judiciary.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2012.