There is news that the PPP government intends to seal off all entrances into Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan to prevent the entry of protesters for an indefinite period and convert it into a sort of Forbidden City of ancient China. That would take the country back a few centuries.
The feared intruders (soon to be declared terrorists?) are the lawyers of Pakistan, a part of the cream of the society, who have been agitating for the last two years for the restoration of the uninterrupted status of the supreme and high court judges who had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the then unpopular military dictator Pervez Musharraf who had suspended the country’s constitution. For the last two years the high and supreme courts have been boycotted by most conscientious lawyers and very little genuine judicial activity has taken place.
The displaced judges were freed from captivity after the February, 2008 elections by the coalition government of PPP, PML(N) and others. But the coalition broke down when the PPP which led the coalition failed to restore the judiciary and PPP gained further concessions from its allies on the same pretext after the forced resignation of the ex-general president, without honoring any of its commitments. It is now being suspected that having reached a seemingly unassailable position the PPP is trying to eradicate all other political parties and national institutions in a systematic process of convictions by puppet judges, horse trading and even use of force.
Almost all of Pakistan’s lawyers, retired judges, intellectuals, civil rights activists, retired generals (except Pervez Musharraf) and politicians (except Peoples Party leaders) believe that the only practical way to snub the anti-constitutional actions of 3rd November, 2007 without acknowledging its existence is to restore Iftikhar Chaudhri as chief justice without a fresh oath, honoring his original oath of office. Any other gimmick will legitimize the much hated 11/3 treachery.
Once the legitimate chief justice is restored, all other matters can, hopefully, be resolved through due process of law.
The feared intruders (soon to be declared terrorists?) are the lawyers of Pakistan, a part of the cream of the society, who have been agitating for the last two years for the restoration of the uninterrupted status of the supreme and high court judges who had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the then unpopular military dictator Pervez Musharraf who had suspended the country’s constitution. For the last two years the high and supreme courts have been boycotted by most conscientious lawyers and very little genuine judicial activity has taken place.
The displaced judges were freed from captivity after the February, 2008 elections by the coalition government of PPP, PML(N) and others. But the coalition broke down when the PPP which led the coalition failed to restore the judiciary and PPP gained further concessions from its allies on the same pretext after the forced resignation of the ex-general president, without honoring any of its commitments. It is now being suspected that having reached a seemingly unassailable position the PPP is trying to eradicate all other political parties and national institutions in a systematic process of convictions by puppet judges, horse trading and even use of force.
Almost all of Pakistan’s lawyers, retired judges, intellectuals, civil rights activists, retired generals (except Pervez Musharraf) and politicians (except Peoples Party leaders) believe that the only practical way to snub the anti-constitutional actions of 3rd November, 2007 without acknowledging its existence is to restore Iftikhar Chaudhri as chief justice without a fresh oath, honoring his original oath of office. Any other gimmick will legitimize the much hated 11/3 treachery.
Once the legitimate chief justice is restored, all other matters can, hopefully, be resolved through due process of law.
