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LAHORE: Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has refused to sign the Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Bill, 2021, seeking the arrest of journalists, lawmakers and bureaucrats.
The Governor said it is “contradictory” and “inconsistent” with the Constitution. Punjab Assembly lawmakers had last month passed a bill, allowing the Assembly powers to arrest and prosecute journalists, bureaucrats, and lawmakers.
Even though the bill was not on the agenda, and neither was it sent to the relevant committee to be examined, it was passed by the majority in the House, without much resistance from Opposition parties.
Meanwhile, the governor, sending the bill back, made the observation that the inclusion of the words “excluding media persons” cannot be made in isolation.
The schedule appended with the Act would also need to be amended “with reference to acts and omissions pertaining to pubiishing and reporting”, and this cannot be done with a notification — such an amendment “must be taken up in the domain of legislation”.
“The bill also needs to be examined in the context of Articles 8, 10, 10-A, and 25 of the Constitution,” he said. Provisions accorded to the Judicial Committee of the Assembly and the Speaker to try offences and award punishments under the Act “are contradictory to Article 66(3) and Article 10-A of the Constitution”, the governor added.
Sources have informed that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister’s House had raised objections over the bill, following which, the governor refrained from signing it.