Contempt of parliament bill ‘goes missing’ after approval by both houses

ISLAMABAD: The contempt of parliament bill, approved by both houses of parliament, has seemingly disappeared without a trace.

Despite its passage, the bill failed to transform into law, having been passed by the National Assembly on May 16, and later by Senate on July 24.

According to sources, the Senate Secretariat dispatched the bill to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on July 26.

Typically, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs forwards bills to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

Sources said that the contempt of parliament bill was indeed sent there but the date on which this transpired remains unknown.

Following the transmission of the bill to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, there is no information regarding whether the bill advanced to the President’s House.

As per legal procedure, bills move from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to the President’s House. After the president’s approval, the bill returns to the Senate Secretariat, thus completing the legislative process.

According to the sources in the Senate Secretariat, more than three months have elapsed, but the bill has yet to return.

The parliament passed the bill during a period marked by a struggle for supremacy between the parliament and the judiciary.

Members of the assembly accused the judiciary of encroaching on parliamentary jurisdiction and endorsing military regimes in the past.

The bill outlines that any individual is considered guilty of contempt of parliament if they intentionally violate the privileges of a member, house, or committee.

The bill aims to “provide for punishment by a House, of a person who willfully fails or refuses to obey any order or direction of a House or a Committee thereof; or commits the contempt of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or breach[es] the privilege of a House.”  According to the bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons, “At times, people do not appear before these Committees despite notice which not only undermine[s] the respect of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) but also hamper[s] proceedings of such Committees as well as redressal of public grievances.”

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If adopted, “the bill would provide for up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of 1 million rupees (about US$3,500), or both, for individuals found guilty of contempt of parliament under section 9. It would also establish a five-member Contempt Committee, which would have the power to award punishment through a majority decision.”

It further says: “The committee would be composed of a member of the National Assembly nominated by the speaker; two members from the National Assembly, one nominated by the leader of the House and the other by the leader of the opposition; and two members from the Senate, one nominated by the leader of the House and the other by the leader of the opposition. The Contempt Committee would have the powers of a civil court and could issue a summons on any person and require that they produce documents as evidence. If a person failed to comply with the summons, the chairman of the committee could issue a warrant through the local police with the prior approval of the speaker or deputy speaker of the National Assembly, or the chairman or deputy chairman of the Senate.”