Bjp province: ‘Petitions should be dismissed’

LAHORE: The federal government on Thursday requested the Lahore High Court to dismiss the writ petitions challenging the formation of a parliamentary commission that has recommended a Bahawalpur South Punjab province in the Punjab. On behalf of the federal government, Additional Attorney General Abdul Hayee Gilani moved the civil miscellaneous (CM) application, requesting to dismiss the petition on the grounds that the proceedings of the National Assembly could not be challenged in a court. According to the application, “Under Article 69 of the constitution, the internal proceedings of the assembly cannot be challenged in writ jurisdiction before the high court even if the proceedings are irregular.” The matter was adjourned till March 11. Previously, the court had observed that no resolution of the National Assembly regarding the formation of the parliamentary commission was on record. The Senate had adopted the 24th constitutional amendment bill for creation of a new province. The opposition parties led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz boycotted the vote.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2013.