Kathmandu, February 2:

Responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging several provisions in the Military Act 1959, the Supreme Court today issued show cause notices to the government authorities demanding reasons why such provisions, that the petitioner claimed contradict with the constitution, are still functional.

The PIL was filed yesterday in the Supreme Court seeking its order to annul over half a dozens of provisions in the Military Act.

Following today’s hearing, a single bench of justice Ram Prasad Shrestha issued the order to the defendants — the Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretariat — to produce their written explanation within 15 days.

The PIL claims that there are a number of provisions in the Military Act that contradict with the Constitution. The petition seeks to annul these provisions.

The writ petitioner listed over one-and-a-half-dozen such provisions in the Act that contradict with the Constitution.