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| Iftikhar says he would assume job when freed |
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Thursday, February 21, 2008
An IG may arrest future CJ if I give in today: deposed CJ
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: “The moment I am freed I will march to my office in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and assume my job,” a confident Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Wednesday, insisting that he was still the constitutional and legal Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Talking to The News, Justice Iftikhar said if restricted, he would hold his court in open field along with other honourable judges of the Supreme Court, who had refused to take oath under the PCO on and after Nov 3, 2007.
Full of resolve and determination, like always, Justice Iftikhar said that nothing constitutional and legal but only his illegal house arrest had barred him from attending his office. “As soon as I am free, I will go to my office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.”
He categorically said that he would not accept any condition attached to his release from the illegal confinement, which started on Nov 3 and was still continuing amid reports that the government was considering freeing him if he restricted himself from going to the Supreme Court.
Rejecting any condition attached to his freedom, he said: “If today I, being the Chief Justice of Pakistan, bound myself to the unconstitutional orders of the chief of the Army staff, then tomorrow an inspector general of police might come up with his own constitutional amendments and order the arrest of any future chief justice of Pakistan.”
He said after his release, he would go the Supreme Court and his brother judges who did not take oath under the PCO would accompany him. Simultaneously, Justice Iftikhar said the (deposed) judges of the high courts would also go to their respective high courts. He disclosed that he was in contact with his brother (deposed) judges, whose number was more than 50.
Referring to his illegal detention, that of his family and his brother judges, he wondered if the top judges in any country had been treated in this manner anywhere in the world. He said such actions could not be accepted.
Undeterred from the harshness of his and his family’s illegal detention of now over 110 days, Justice Iftikhar said the Nov 3 order of the seven-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by him, had already declared the PCO unconstitutional and had also restrained the judges of the superior judiciary from taking oath under the PCO.
He said neither could the COAS amend the Constitution nor could he sack any judge. Justice Iftikhar said the whole nation demanded restoration of the pre-Nov 3 judiciary as had been proven in the Feb 18 elections. He declared that the future of the country could only be secured by constitutional rule and through institution building.
He said he was under oath to “preserve, protect and defend” the Constitution and this could only be done by supporting the Constitution and the rule of law and resisting unconstitutional orders.
While Justice Iftikhar is so clear about his “action plan”, the government believes that the deposed judges could only get back to their positions with the support of a two-third majority of the parliament.
However, opposition voices and the legal fraternity do not agree with this interpretation and say that unless the new parliament gives indemnity to Musharraf’s Nov 3 and post-Nov 3 unconstitutional actions, no constitutional amendment is required to restore the deposed judges Some legal experts, including Aitzaz Ahsan, say a simple executive order can undo everything that has been unconstitutionally or illegally done in the past few months.
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20 die as bomber hits Peshawar Judicial Complex
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber blew himself up at the main gate of the Judicial Complex on the Khyber Road here on Thursday, killing 20 people, including three cops, and wounding over 50 others.
Hundreds of more |
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Finally, dreaded NRO list is out and official
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented to the government on Thursday a list of 248 politicians and bureaucrats, who were alleged to have plundered hundreds of billions of rupees but were more |
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Gilani to quit if wife proved NRO beneficiary
By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
& Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: In what could be described as a clear message to the beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to resign from their posts, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilan more |
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Multiple criteria agreed for NFC Award
By Imtiaz Ali
KARACHI: The Fifth National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting in the city on Thursday decided in principle to make population, revenue, backwardness and “inverse density population” (the less the population, the more |
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Karzai sworn in for second term
KABUL: Veteran Afghan leader Hamid Karzai was sworn in as president on Thursday, pledging to fight graft and take control of his country’s security before his five-year term ends, after a fraud-marred election more |
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US asked to take Pakistan into confidence on Afghan policy
KABUL: President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the US to take Pakistan on board regarding its new policy on Afghanistan, as it would also have an impact on Pakistan.
He expressed these views while talking t more |
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‘India failed to respond positively on peace talks’
KABUL: Reiterating his strong stance that India is not serious in the process of dialogue with Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday underlined that India had not given Pakistan a positive more |
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Dictators ruled for decades but civilians can’t complete tenure: Shahbaz
KARACHI: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Balochistan CM Nawab Aslam Raisani and Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah have vowed to make Pakistan a welfare state as envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam.
Talking t more |
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Vehicle escorting CIA director overturns
By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: A vehicle of a sensitive security agency escorting US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta, currently on a ‘secret’ visit to Pakistan, overturned near the KRL Chowk at Islamabad Ex more |
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Headley, Rana being probed for involvement in 26/11 attacks
By Sami Abraham
WASHINGTON: Two former students of Cadet College Hasan Abdal, currently living in Chicago, are being investigated for their possible involvement in Mumbai attacks last year in which more than 160 people were ki more |
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PM’s wife not NRO beneficiary: NAB
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau Thursday clarified that Fouzia Gilani, wife of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, was not a beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance as references agains more |
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Recovered billions can make real difference
By Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: The 160 million people can be provided major relief and even increase in electricity tariff by 30 per cent can be avoided if Rs 165 billion (conservative estimate) are recovered from the beneficiarie more |
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China wants improved Indo-Pak ties
News Desk
BEIJING: The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday gave the impression that it was merely interested in the gradual improvement in relations between India and Pakistan but was not trying to interfere with the pr more |
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US supports Pakistan-India dialogue
WASHINGTON: A senior American diplomat has said Washington is supportive of resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan through dialogue.
“Of course, we all share an interest in stability and peace more |
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Remarks on women pilots
News Desk
NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) vice chief, Air Marshal P K Barbora, on Thursday offered his apologies if anyone’s feelings have been hurt by his remarks on induction of women fighter pilots, and stressed more |
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Nato must not walk away from Afghanistan, says chief
BUDAPEST: Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday the alliance must not turn its back on Afghanistan as this would raise the threat from al-Qaeda and lead to insecurity throughout central more |
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BoP scam accused sent on 12-day remand
By our correspondent
LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday sent two main accused of the Rs 9 billion Bank of Punjab scam on 12-day physical remand, directing the NAB officials to produce them again in the court along with oth more |
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briefs...
Eid holidays
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced Eid-ul-Azha holidays from November 27 to 30, said an announcement made by the PM Secretariat here on Thursday.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
