The Supreme Court does not have jurisdiction to hear the reference against the Hasba Bill, Qasi Hussain Ahmed, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) president and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief, told reporters on Saturday. Nevertheless, he said, the MMA would fulfil legal requirements and plead its case in the apex court.âThe dissolution of the NWFP Assembly will lead to an uncontrollable situation in the province, for which the entire responsibility will rest on the federal government,â he said. He said that dissolving the NWFP Assembly under the pretext of the Hasba Bill would amount to hostility against the state. He said the people of the NWFP had a deep commitment to Islam and believed in the leadership of clerics.
âIf dissolving their elected government and assembly provokes them, nobody will be able to control them,â Qazi said. âWe are not against going to courts, but in the present situation where half of the Supreme Court judges are under oath to the Constitution while the remaining half have taken oath under (President General) Pervez Musharrafâs Legal Framework Order, there is a discord,â he said.
Qazi said that in principle, the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction over the case but âwe will find a way out of this situation imposed upon us by the governmentâ. Qazi said the Hasba Bill was in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution. âFollowing the billâs return from the governor and the Council of Islamic Ideology, opinions were sought for two years from the public and experts, hence there is no justification to opposing the bill.â