Ex-CJP calls Musharraf 'extremist' for slandering 60 judges

[mujahideen]

Musharraf to resign if ex-CJ restored, his aides say

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW YORK - Aides to President Pervez Musharraf believe that he would resign if ex-Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry returned to his post after the new National Assembly starts functioning, according to a dispatch in The New York Times on Wednesday.
The reason given by the unnamed presidential aides was that restoration of the chief justice would reopen the question of his eligibility to be president and the legality of his suspension of the Constitution in November.
The same would happen if lawmakers removed his powers to dissolve Parliament, The Times quoted a close aide as saying in the course of a dispatch on the latest political developments in Pakistan.
"The president will resign," the aide said. "He does not want to be an ineffective president."
An unnamed Western diplomat was quoted as saying: "He (Musharraf) is considering whether he should go. My feeling is Musharraf would not accept a diminished role; either he is in power, or he leaves."
"Yet Mr. Musharraf, who says he will work with whatever government is formed, remains aggressive publicly and seems determined to remain at the helm," The Times noted. "He continues to occupy the Army House, the government residence of the chief of army staff, in the garrison city of Rawalpindi just to the south of the capital, and continues to meet the cabinet, party officials and military officers there."
"He is under pressure, but I don't think he is going to improve," PML-N's leader Zafar-ul-Haq told The Times. "The expressions from him are such. He is adamant, stubborn."
Meanwhile, a dispatch in McClatchy group of newspapers said that the delay in naming a prime minister or a government "threatens to strengthen the man they (political parties) defeated, President Pervez Musharraf."
The dispatch said Western diplomats in Islamabad privately expressed alarm over the political vacuum, which comes as Islamic extremists are conducting a campaign of suicide bombings.
"Some Pakistani politicians contend that interference by the United States and its ally Musharraf has stalled the formation of a government," dispatch said. But, it said, the two winning parties bear a share of responsibility.

The Nation

 

[mujahideen]

In touch with other parties for restoration of judiciary: Qazi Hussain

LAHORE: A delegation of Jamiat Ulam-i- Pakistan (JUI) met with Jamat--i-Islami(JI) leader Qazi Husaain Ahmad on Thursday and discussed the revival of Muttahida Majlis Amal(MMA). Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that JI is contacting with other religious parties for the restoration of judiciary and JI also taking measures for the expansion of MMA. Talking to media after the meeting, Qazi has demanded President Musharraf to resign and announced that he would not launch any agitation against the elected government. Sahibzada Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair told media that his party wants to retain coalition with MMA and they would also meet with Maulana Fazul Rehman and other MMA leaders. The delegation of JUI comprised of acting president Sahibzada Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair, Pir Ejaz Hashmi and secretary general Qari Zawar Bahadur.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Judiciary row Pakistan’s internal matter: US: Amnesty announces awards for lawyers, judges

By Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON, March 5: The White House has said that it will not get involved in the judiciary-executive dispute in Pakistan because it views this as an internal matter of that country.

“That will be a topic that the Pakistanis need to address, not the United States,” said White House Press Secretary Dana Perino when asked if President Bush will use his influence to get the former chief justice released and the judiciary restored to its pre-Nov 3 status.

Ms Perino told a news briefing in Washington that Pakistan already has a parliament elected on Feb 18 and the newly elected leaders “are working on the changes that need to take place” to settle such disputes.

However, at a short distance from the White House, leaders of Pakistan’s lawyers’ movement received a rare honour from Amnesty International for their struggle to restore the rule of law in their country.

Amnesty International gave two awards – one for judges and another for lawyers – at a ceremony also attended by a delegation of lawyers from Pakistan.

“Amnesty International, USA, salutes the judges and lawyers of Pakistan who stood up during the recent state of emergency in defence of an independent judiciary,” said a citation etched on the plaques.

Hamid Khan, former President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, told the gathering that the US should use its influence to get the sacked judges reinstated.

The judges, he said, were sacked because they attempted to restore the independence of judiciary and not because they were releasing terror suspects, as some in the United States believe.

Mr Khan said if the US wanted to stay neutral, it should also stop supporting the Musharraf government.

He noted that while the Bush administration never shies away from expressing its support to the Musharraf government, it refuses to back the cause of the judiciary whenever this issue is raised.

Mr Khan claimed that the Musharraf government was using its influence to break up the PPP-PML-N alliance and bring a government that would agree to work with President Musharraf for the next five years.

“But the Feb 18 elections have shown that the people do not want him,” Mr Khan said. “He should step down in the greater interest of the country.”

The US administration, he said, should not try to prolong President Musharraf’s stay in power and “instead of supporting an individual, it should support the people of Pakistan”.

Sahibzada Anwar Hamid, former vice president of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, advised the US administration not to allow the fear of terrorism to prevent it from seeing the changes sweeping through Pakistan.

“If you look closely, you will see that people not only voted against the ruling party; they also voted for an independent judiciary,” he said.

He argued that at least in Punjab, political parties benefited from the pro-judiciary sentiments stoked by the lawyers’ movement and if the new government fails to restore the judiciary, they too will become unpopular.

Judiciary row Pakistan’s internal matter: US: Amnesty announces awards for lawyers, judges -DAWN - Top Stories; March 06, 2008

 

[mujahideen]

Burney threatens to resign over CJP issue

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney on Thursday threatened to step down if the government failed to justify the detention of sacked chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and his family. Talking to Daily Times, Burney said he had written a letter to the Law Ministry asking it to explain the legal grounds on which the top judge and his family were detained at their house. He said the ministry had declined to comment on the issue, saying that the matter pertained to the Interior Ministry. Burney said he had sought the same explanation from the Interior Ministry but had not had any reply. “If I do not get a response in a day or two I will go to former chief justice (CJ) of Pakistan Chaudhry’s residence myself. It is below human dignity to keep the kids of the former CJ Justice in detention. The government must explain if there was any legal provision to keep a chief justice in detention along with his kids,” he said, adding that he had told the higher authorities, including President Musharraf, that he could quit the ministry in protest. staff report

Courtesy Daily Times

 

[relent8]

He can wait for 7-8 days for new government to be formed, and he'll be automatically kicked, so why to give resignation now and do all this mess.

 

[mujahideen]

Iftikhar’s countrywide address to bars on 13th

By Our Reporter

LAHORE, March 7: Deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry will address all bars in the country by telephone on March 13.

This was announced at a press conference on Friday by Punjab Bar Council vice-chairman Mohammad Aslam Sindhu, Supreme Court Bar Association vice-president Ghulam Nabi Bhatti, Lahore High Court Bar Association secretary Rana Asadullah Khan, Lahore Bar Association president Manzoor Qadir and SCBA media coordinator Mohammad Azhar Siddiqui.

They said the lawyers’ community had launched a campaign to mobilise the people for protests and the response had been ‘very positive’.

Mr Sindhu said SCBA president Aitzaz Ahsan would address all the bars on March 10. He said Justice Iftikhar would address all bars in the country from his residence in Islamabad.

He said lawyers would hold rallies and meetings to condemn the actions taken on Nov 3 last year and boycott courts throughout next week. He said lawyers would hoist black flags on their homes, offices and bar rooms and the general public, including traders, students, members of civil society and professionals, would join them.

The bar leaders said independence of the judiciary was the slogan of every Pakistani as they felt that the country could not be put on the track of real democracy and their problems would not be solved without a neutral and impartial institution to keep a check on people in power. They said the lawyers’ movement had infused a new spirit in the masses whose participation would bring about a rapid change in the situation.

They said the legal fraternity all over the country was united and in high spirits to observe the week to press the demand for reinstatement of the deposed judges and restoration of the Constitution of 1973.

Mr Sindhu said the masses and the lawyers strongly believed that the judiciary would be independent and impartial and independent judges would rise above all temptations and fear to administer justice as per the Constitution and the law even if it annoyed a president or prime minister. He said the deposed judges were tested people and the masses had reposed full confidence in them.

He said the bar would soon take up the matter of violation of the boycott of the courts by some lawyers.

Iftikhar’s countrywide address to bars on 13th -DAWN - Top Stories; March 08, 2008