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While hearing 26 petitions against the Contempt of Court Act 2012, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has insisted that the new law was meant to save a person. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Chaudhry said that there must be a rationale for the promulgation of a new law, adding that if the public office holders were above the law, then no one would respect it. "A person whom Allah has given honour should show more respect to the court orders. Due to the new law, dignity and respect of the court will be lowered and the court judgements will be paper decree," the Daily Times quoted Chaudhry, as saying. Chaudhry further elaborated that the new law was a replication of the Contempt of Court Act 1976, barring a few clauses, adding that the country's democratic system should continue, and with the passage of time all faults from the system would be removed. Jawwad S Khawaja, a bench member, claimed that people who produced the country's unanimous constitution were visionaries, but dictators distorted it. The CJP said that as the lawmakers had taken oath under the constitution, they should legislate keeping the constitution's fundamentals under consideration.

Pak SC fires fresh salvo at Govt over contempt of court law