QUETTA - Supreme Court Friday issued notices to the federation and the attorney general on two petitions challenging the newly-made contempt of court law.Lawyers’ movement leader Baz Muhammad Kakar and Balochistan Bar Association General Secretary Manzoor Ahmed Bangulzai had submitted on Thursday a petition challenging the ‘unconstitutional’ Contempt of Court Bill 2012 – which was signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari later the same day.Renowned lawyers Athar Minallah and Hadi Shakeel Friday appeared on behalf of the applicants before a three-judge bench at the apex court’s Quetta Registry. The bench comprised Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja.Athar said that the purpose of the contempt of court law was stated to be provision of justice but dispensation of justice was only possible through an independent judiciary. “The new law is against the constitution and discriminatory, as it will benefit only particular persons,” he said. Besides being a hurdle in the way of justice, this law was also against independence of the judiciary, he added, requesting the court to declare it as unconstitutional.Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed that important questions had been raised about the independence of judiciary in this petition that need consideration. After hearing arguments, the Chief Justice remarked that if someone was not made accountable over court verdicts then a court would pass an order in the morning and it would be rejected in the evening.The court also issued notices to the federation and the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) in another petition seeking a stay order against the law. The court directed that all the applications submitted in this connection be clubbed together for hearing on July 23.Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: The Supreme Court on issued notices to attorney general and other respondents in constitutional petitions challenging Contempt Of Court Act, 2012 for July 23.The notices have been issued to Attorney General for Pakistan and all respondents including Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf through Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Federal Law Minister, Chairman Senate through Secretary, Speaker National Assembly through the Secretary, Secretary Cabinet Division, Secretary Establishment Division and Federation of Pakistan through Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.