BY: Raja Riaz
The legislatures are meant for debating the issues confronting the nations, men at streets, government policies, and opposition notices besides legislations. It is the forum where ‘unheard’ are heard through their elected representatives who are supposed to cry out for the welfare of their constituents.
It is established fact that every parliamentarian can speak his mind in any tone, words and phrase. The parliamentarians are free to express their views without any fear as the word spoken at this platform cannot be questioned at any forum except that barred by the constitution, law or parliamentary traditions. It is a fact that the legislators, despite having this liberty, refrain from speaking against some institutions just because out of respect. Normally, parliaments do not debate the conduct of higher judiciary though having difference of opinion.
The first day of the 33rd session of the Punjab legislature was a normal — same agenda items — question hour, call attention notices, privilege and adjournment motions, same point of orders, same lack of quorum in the House, speaker’s order of adjourning the proceedings to next day as the required number of members could not be gathered in the House by the treasury when the opposition pointed out the quorum. All was the same but one point perhaps was different — the legislators wanted to discuss the prime minister’s appearance in the Supreme Court. The opposition members, especially from the PPP, wanted to speak on the issue and narrate the elegance of their leader, Yousaf Raza Gilani’s. The PML-N was reluctant to listen to them having a fear that the move will ultimately lead to a comparison with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s appearance in Supreme Court on contempt of court charge in 1997.
“The matter is sub judice and cannot be discussed here. I will never allow you to speak on this floor of House on a matter being heard in the apex court of the country,” was the reply to many folks who tried to catch the eye of the man sitting on the woolsack.
The ‘issue’ could not be taken in the House but who could stop the PPP men delivering their deliberations in the lobbying, cafeteria and corridors of the legislatures. Perhaps they wanted to take pride in their leader’s elegance or curse a former prime minister’s followers’ attitude, but were very enthusiastic to narrate the tale of moment their party leaders spent in the courtroom the Supreme Court.
What happened there on Thursday is history and would be written in golden words. Have you ever seen a prime minister so willingly appearing in court to face the charges levelled against him, was a question put up by another PPP MPA.
What happened in the Supreme Court and with whom were they comparing it? Let’s have a look – A contempt notice was served on the PPP leader and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on the charges of not implementing the court order in NRO case. The gentleman appeared in the court on a fixed hour, saying “I spent six years in prison and was never reluctant to appear before the court which shows that I always respected the court. All the allies are also here in the honour of the court.”
Look who else was with him bowing head before a bench of the Supreme Court - PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Senior Federal Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, MQM Parliamentary Leader Dr Farooq Sattar, FATA Parliamentary Leader Munir Khan Orakzai, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kosar, several cabinet members and senior PPP leaders.
In concluding remarks of his seven-minute argument, the prime minister said that he would appear in the court whenever summoned. Whatever he said or answered to the allegation is another story but the fact is that not a single flower was plucked from the Supreme Court corridors, nor a single leaf was turned. It happened very smoothly.
He impressed a lot to the bench, as after his arguments, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said: “Today is the great day in the history of the country as the chief executive is appearing before the bench.” The bench also exempted the premier from appearing for the upcoming hearing of the case.
The people across the country who had glued themselves to their TV sets, waiting restlessly for high drama to unfold, relaxed their nerves when the hearing were adjourned until February 1.
The legislators were comparing his appearance in the court with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s attendance in the court in 1997. An episode of political history which is still fresh in the minds of the people when chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah and his court was ridiculed by hundreds of political workers on the very premises of the honourable court.
It was November 29, 1997, a day fixed for the hearing of a contempt notice against Nawaz Sharif but what happened - thousands of ‘political workers’ attacked the Supreme Court building. The mob also beat up Pakistan People’s Party’s senator Iqbal Haider.
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