Punjab govt to decide on sending Imran’s case to military court: law minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Thursday that if needed, the Punjab government would decide to refer Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder chairman Imran Khan’s case to a military court.

“The prosecution of May 9 cases is being done by the Punjab government and the provincial government will decide to refer the case to a military court,” he said in an informal talk with media persons on Thursday at the Presidency after President Asif Ali Zardari conferred Hilal-i-Imtiaz on Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem.

Tarar said the case of Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed did not come into the purview of Law Ministry as he was being tried under the Army Act.

In a reply to a question, the law minister made it clear that there was no surprise legislation in the offing, rejecting the rumours of any constitutional amendment in the joint session of parliament. He clarified that neither a constitutional amendment can be passed nor it can be introduced in the joint session of parliament. He said if the constitutional amendment is to be presented, it has to be introduced in both houses of parliament separately from where it has to be passed through a two-thirds majority. “Media should avoid speculations and show responsibility,” he said.

He said dozens of bills which were approved by either house of parliament and not passed by the other within 90 days would be brought in the upcoming joint sitting.

To a question on extension in the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, the law minister said that no such proposal was currently under consideration. “It is not for me to decide whether the term of chief justice will be extended or not,” he said.

To a question on the private member bill of JUIF legislator Noor Alam Khan to abolish the contempt of court law, Tarar responded that personally, he did not support the abolition of contempt of court. “The Contempt of Court Act is designed to meet the requirements of Article 204 of the Constitution,” he said. He said if a member wants to bring a bill on a private member’s day, it cannot be stopped.