ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top judges were criticised by the ruling coalitions’ lawmakers in the National Assembly Tuesday while a bill was tabled proposing a provision of review against the Supreme Court’s decisions.

Awami National Party (ANP) leader Bushra Gohar said that justice was not being served to the public and the country is practically running on suo motu notices. She said that before deciding on increasing the judges’ pension, their performance should also be reviewed.

The Pakistan People’s Party’s Noor Alam Khan on a point of order questioned why the case of the the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz’s (PML-N) attack on the judiciary was not taken up by the court.

The PPP’s Jamshed Dasti complained that he was metted with unfair treatment by the courts in the case on fake degrees. Dasti further questioned why the apex court did not take suo motu notice when several patients in Punjab had lost their lives due to the strike by young doctors in the province.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Dr. Abdul Kadir Khanzada introduced the “Curative Jurisdiction (by the Supreme Court) Bill, 2012” during Tuesday’s session of the NA as a private member bill.

Khanzada said that there should be a provision of curative review against any decision of the apex court even after the review appeal.

The NA also took up as five other private members bills on the private members day while the treasury did not oppose to any of the bills presented either from treasury or opposition benches.

Nosheen Saeed, MNA from the PML-Q, introduced the “Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Amendment Bill” to amend the Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Act, 2004. Explaining the rationale for her amendment bill, Nosheen said that injured persons were being denied emergency treatment in government and private hospitals and the doctors seek registration of criminal cases with police and seek hefty amounts before emergency treatment, leading to deaths of many on a daily basis.

She said every citizen must be given emergency treatment, which is a basic human right, and that all procedures must be adopted later.

Nosheen Saeed also introduced the “Criminal Law Amendment Bill, 2012 (Insertion of new section 377A)” to further amend the Pakistan Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. She said the bill aimed at giving severe punishment to those criminals who raped or committed unnatural crimes against minors.

“The Defamation (Amendment) Bill, 2012” was introduced by Hamid Saeed Kazmi of the PPP to further amend the Defamation Ordinance, 2002.

He said that his bill would help redress the grievances of persons targeted by malicious and false propaganda. He said the amendment would help plug gaps in the defamation law to save people from defamation. Moreover, he said this would also help the media increase its credibility and bring an end to the blame game in politics.

Nosheen Saeed introduced a third bill, the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Amendment Bill, 2012, to amend the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organization) Act, 1996.

She said that this legislation would help curb crimes committed through unregistered SIMs.

Naseer Bhutta of the PML-N introduced a bill proposing an amendment to Article 260. He said that he wanted to add the word “life” in the constitution, as was also included in the Indian constitution. He said that this would help the citizens get the provision of basic human needs of daily life.

The session was subsequently adjourned until 5 pm Wednesday evening.