ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s Dr Shireen Mazari has appealed an order of the Islamabad High Court, seeking an exception in Article 69 and re-interpret it to protect women on the floor of the National Assembly from verbal abuse and harassment.
While challenging a single bench’s order issued earlier in October, Dr Mazari, through her counsel Barrister Shoaib Razzaq, filed an intra-court appeal (ICA) and sought the reinterpretation of the law.
The MNA linked the appeal with Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif’s derogatory remarks against her during a session of the assembly in June.
Earlier, the single bench of Justice Athar Minallah had on October 4 dismissed her petition in which she sought disqualification of the defence minister for his remarks.
Mazari has made the federation a respondent through Minister of Law and Justice Zahid Hamid, Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, through Federal Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmed.
Razzaq stated that Asif, while pointing towards Mazari during a session of the National Assembly, made an offensive remark when she and some other lawmakers protested against his speech on load shedding during Ramazan.
“The impugned remarks were a malicious attempt to harass and intimidate the appellant and impede her from unabashedly scrutinising the law,” he stated. He added that Mazari’s fundamental rights had been violated, yet no effective relief was provided to her.
The counsel said Asif’s derogatory remarks against the petitioner were seen by millions of viewers as it was repeated on television. He added that footage of the incident is still available on certain online forums.
He said the remarks were criminal in nature as Asif defamed Mazari and that it violates falls Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860. Razzaq claimed Asif created a hostile working environment for her and that it violated the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.
Razzaq further stated that the objective of parliamentary privilege, under Article 69 of the Constitution is to allow parliamentarians to go about their business.
Original news : http://tribune.com.pk/story/1210291/mazari-appeals-ihcs-verdict/