CHITRALIS FOR CJ RESTORATION

CHITRAL,16 May 08: Almost all Chitralis want the judiciary of 02 November 2007 to be restored as it was without any crumpling in it. In a survey carried out by Chitral News, people from different walks of life expressed great regard for deposed Chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and wanted him to be reinstated with full honours.



Those asked for comments said Iftikhar Chaudhry took suo motto cognizance of social injustices ranging from apparently small matters like checking extravagance in marriage ceremonies which cause social disharmony, to matters of national importance like challenging the frittering away of national assets by the govt in shady privatisation deals, asking for whereabouts of disappeared persons, demanding supremacy of the constitution and the law, and many more such steps which judges before him had hitherto ignored as 'some body else's business'.



The chief Justice stood steadfast on his principles in the face of both the stick and the carrot, a trait alien to most Pakistani politicians today, they remarked. Chitralis known to be much interested in national politics and considered more enlightened than many in this regard, were of the unanimous opinion that absence of social justice is the main ailment that we suffer as a nation today -- (CN report)

Lawyers ready to protest

Pakistan lawyers plan to hit the streets again to demand the government quickly reinstate judges ousted by President Pervez Musharraf.

"The leadership of Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association will meet on Saturday to finalise protest plans", Munir A Malik a lawyers' protest movement leader said.

Demonstrations will likely start with a nationwide convention of lawyers in Lahore and eventually move on to the Parliament building in Islamabad. He did not give a date for the protests.

"We are absolutely prepared," he said in Hong Kong but said the lawyers would tread carefully so the army would not use it as an excuse to intervene.

Malik's comments came after talks between the two main partners in Pakistan's six-week-old ruling coalition failed to reach an agreement on how to reinstate the judges Musharraf dismissed.

Lawyers launched a high-profile campaign last year when Musharraf first tried to oust Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, who was later reinstated.

Chaudhry was later put under house arrest after Musharraf imposed emergency rule in November, when he also purged other judges.

Malik was arrested and fell ill in prison. Fellow activists claim he was poisoned.

Malik was in Hong Kong to receive an award from the Asian Human Rights Commission for him and his successor as president of the bar association, Aitzaz Ahsan. They were honored for their work with the lawyers' movement.

Courtesy Gulf Daily News.