Pakistan judge becomes symbol of revolt
By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad Tue Mar 20, 3:02 PM ET
Supreme Court judges rarely enjoy celebrity status. So the sudden passage of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary, 58-year-old chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court, to stardom as a symbol of popular revolt against military rule is remarkable.
His suspension 12 days ago by General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's ruler, sparked outrage in the judiciary. Across Pakistan, lawyers joined street protests and judges handed in resignations. A federal deputy attorney-general on Tuesday became the latest to quit.
Opposition leaders, usually riven by divisions, are claiming Mr Chaudhary's cause as their own. They view the controversy as an opportunity to counter any attempt by Gen Musharraf to retain his dual office as president and army chief of staff through a parliamentary vote ahead of national elections.
Mr Chaudhary's taste for a fight - he has refused to resign - and the violent public outcry has wrongfooted Gen Musharraf. Pakistan's ruler was forced to acknowledge in a television interview this week that he had mishandled what has blown up into a constitutional crisis. Analysts predict his embarrassment over this miscalculated assault on Pakistan's legal establishment could deepen.
Zulfiqar Naqvi, a leading lawyer who met Mr Chaudhary at the weekend, said the chief justice told him: "I am fighting for the rule of law and independence of the judiciary. My hands are clean. I have always given verdicts on the basis of merit. My conscience is clear." >>>cont
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Supreme Court judges rarely enjoy celebrity status. So the sudden passage of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary, 58-year-old chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court, to stardom as a symbol of popular revolt against military rule is remarkable.
His suspension 12 days ago by General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's ruler, sparked outrage in the judiciary. Across Pakistan, lawyers joined street protests and judges handed in resignations. A federal deputy attorney-general on Tuesday became the latest to quit.
Opposition leaders, usually riven by divisions, are claiming Mr Chaudhary's cause as their own. They view the controversy as an opportunity to counter any attempt by Gen Musharraf to retain his dual office as president and army chief of staff through a parliamentary vote ahead of national elections.
Mr Chaudhary's taste for a fight - he has refused to resign - and the violent public outcry has wrongfooted Gen Musharraf. Pakistan's ruler was forced to acknowledge in a television interview this week that he had mishandled what has blown up into a constitutional crisis. Analysts predict his embarrassment over this miscalculated assault on Pakistan's legal establishment could deepen.
Zulfiqar Naqvi, a leading lawyer who met Mr Chaudhary at the weekend, said the chief justice told him: "I am fighting for the rule of law and independence of the judiciary. My hands are clean. I have always given verdicts on the basis of merit. My conscience is clear." >>>cont
LinkHere
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 4:09 PM
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