Transparency International Pakistan. PHOTO: FILE
“[The bill] is contradictory to the Supreme Court ruling on the National Reconciliation Ordinance case,” says a letter, the TIP chief Sohail Muzaffar wrote to Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari on March 8.
On March 7, the lower house passed the Federal Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2014, with consensus. Federal Minister Zahid Hamid moved the motion that in order to discuss the FPSC (Amendment) Bill 2014, contents of Rule 122 of the Rules and Procedures be ignored.
According to the bill, members of the FPSC will be eligible for joining the civil service of Pakistan after retirement from the commission. The passage of this amendment bill has paved the way for Justice (retd) Rana Bhagwandas to be appointed as the CEC. The bill has been sent to the senate
The letter, whose copy is available with The Express Tribune, contends such ‘person specific’ law has been stuck down in the NRO case, Constitution Petition Nos.76 to 80 of 2007 & 59/2009, Judgment released on 19/ 1/2012.
“The executive and legislative limbs of the State are also constitutionally obliged to apply the powers and resources at their command, in enforcing the Constitution and the rule of law without discrimination or undue favour to any person or class,” the letter citing excerpts from the judgment by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja.
The TIP chief has requested the Senate chairman “to uphold the principle of the rule of law and Supreme Court Judgment in the NRO case. Transparency International Pakistan is striving for across the board application of Rule of Law, which is the only way to stop corruption,” he adds.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2014.
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