ISLAMABAD, July 10: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan rejected on Tuesday the contempt of court bill, which was approved by National Assembly on Monday, as unconstitutional and hoped the Supreme Court would strike it down.

Talking to reporters at a gathering held to mark the decision by former MNAs Rajab Ali Baloch and Nasir Ali Baloch to join his party, he said the new contempt law was being brought only to “protect Rs6 billion that President Asif Ali Zardari has deposited in a Swiss bank”.

He also opposed the duel nationality law that was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday, saying that though his party supported voting right for holders of dual nationality they must not be allowed to contest elections or hold a public office.

Mr Khan said the bill would be struck down by the court like it had earlier done with the ruling by the National Assembly speaker on conviction of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani because it too was against constitutional parameters.

He said the prime objective of the rulers was to save ‘Raja Rental’ from meeting the fate of Yousuf Raza Gilani and save ill-gotten millions of dollars stashed in foreign banks by President Zardari.

By bringing new constitutional amendment, the PTI chief alleged, the rulers had ensured they were above the law and said the new legislation had divided the society into two sections. “On one side are the rulers and oppressors while on the other were the poor and oppressed ones,” he said.

He recollected when Mian Nawaz Sharif had also resorted to similar amendments to the Constitution in a bid to become Amirul Momineen.

He said that by using new law to their favour, the rulers would use the ill-gotten money to grab power in the next general elections.

He said that he felt sorry for the coalition partners of the PPP because they had sided with it in the passage of the controversial law by burying their conscious.

He said the role of PPP allies in its acts was like treacherous and said the nation would not forgive them for this blunder.

He said that Pakistanis with dual nationality should have the right to vote but they must not be allowed to contest elections.

Answering a question on nomination of Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim as chief election commissioner, he said that he had full faith in his integrity because he was an honest man.

Mr Khan was confident that the designated chief election commissioner would ensure free, fair and transparent elections.