Chief Justice's fate out of my hands: Musharraf

[maddezmom]

Chief Justice's fate out of my hands: Musharraf

Reuters
Posted online: Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 1758 hours IST


Islamabad, March 15: President Pervez Musharraf, accused by lawyers, journalists and political opponents of acting unconstitutionally in trying to sack the country's most senior judge, said on Thursday that he wouldn't interfere in the case.

The hearing against Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary will reconvene on Friday behind closed doors, but there is no clear idea how long the case might last.

"I promise you that judiciary will decide, we don't have to interfere in the matter, even I don't have the right," Musharraf told a rally in eastern town of Gujranwala

more:http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=83034

Furor over Musharraf's suspension of Pakistan's chief justice
Pakistani leader under fire for suspension of chief justice
By Salman Masood Published: March 15, 2007

ISLAMABAD: A political and legal maelstrom has emerged after Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, unceremoniously suspended the country's chief justice last week, a step that lawyers and rights activists have called an assault on the independence of the judiciary.

The suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, who did not shy away from taking on cases that challenged the government, has set off immense controversy and threatens to spiral into a constitutional crisis, according to lawyers and analysts here.

That sense of crisis has deepened as Chaudhry has refused to resign and has vowed to defend himself against unspecified charges before a judicial panel this week.

Musharraf has declared Chaudhry "nonfunctional" until the judicial panel can rule on the charges against him. Opponents of the president say that under the Constitution, he cannot dismiss or suspend the chief justice.


more:http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/15/news/pakistan.php

[maddezmom]

1. U.S. hails "strong ally" Pakistan, gives new aid

U.S. hails "strong ally" Pakistan, gives new aid By Robert Birsel
10 minutes ago



ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan under President Pervez Musharraf is a very strong ally in the war on terrorism, a U.S. official said on Thursday while announcing a $750 million aid package for Pakistan's Afghan border areas.

~SNIP~

Boucher's visit to Pakistan came after speculation in the U.S. media of growing frustration with Musharraf's inability to stem a tide of militants crossing to fight U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan, or to tackle al Qaeda camps in border areas.

It also follows a move by the U.S. House of Representatives to link aid to Pakistan to progress in battling militancy. But Boucher said the administration strongly opposed that legislation and he thought it would not be passed.

Boucher also said the United States would be closely watching a crisis that erupted last week when Musharraf moved to sack the country's top judge, sparking a wave of protests by lawyers and opposition supporters.

"President Musharraf has been a very strong ally. Pakistan has been a very strong ally with President Musharraf as leader," Boucher told a news conference at the well-guarded U.S. embassy.

MORE:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070315/pl_nm/pakistan_usa_dc

[maddezmom]

2. Pakistan: Protesters in Judge's Case at Risk of Violence

Pakistan: Protesters in Judge's Case at Risk of Violence
15 Mar 2007 17:15:39 GMT
Source: Human Rights Watch

(New York, March 15, 2007) – The Pakistani government should not block or use violence against peaceful demonstrators protesting the "suspension" and mistreatment of the Supreme Court's chief justice, Human Rights Watch said today. On March 16, lawyers' groups and opposition political parties plan to hold protests and demonstrations across Pakistan as the country's Supreme Judicial Council, a body constitutionally mandated to hear complaints against the senior judiciary, resumes its hearing of President General Pervez Musharraf's complaint against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. On March 9, Pakistan's military leader summoned the chief justice to his office and dismissed him for alleged "misuse of office."

~Snip~

"Musharraf's government should end this constitutional crisis by halting the illegal actions against the chief justice that have led to these protests," said Ali Dayan Hasan, South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Trumped-up charges against lawyers must be dropped, demonstrators arbitrarily detained must be released, and peaceful protest must be allowed."

The government has still not released any details of the charges against Justice Chaudhry and said the hearing will be closed to the public. Pakistan's bar associations and international and Pakistani human rights groups have all demanded a public hearing. Lawyers on Justice Chaudhry's defense team told Human Rights Watch that they had not been given any access to him or to a copy of the reference filed against him.

~snip~

The Supreme Judicial Council has prohibited the Pakistani media from reporting on its proceedings, and the government has put pressure on the media to tone down its reportage on the affair. On March 12, the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) briefly suspended the broadcasts of two privately run television stations Aaj and Geo TV, after they transmitted footage of injured and bleeding lawyers beaten by police during a demonstration that day in support of Justice Chaudhry. On March 13, Musharraf's minister for law and human rights minister, Wasi Zafar, used abusive language in a Voice of America program on the judge's case apparently to intimidate Ansar Abbasi, a fellow panelist and Pakistani journalist, and his family.

"Having made a mockery of the rule of law, the government is trying to intimidate the media and others in order to prevent condemnation of its behavior," said Hasan. "Musharraf's functionaries must end their bullying of civil society now."

link: http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/95ef2901f8fb23203811b73f95dc6cde.htm

[maddezmom]

3. Pakistan arrests dozens ahead of rallies

Pakistan arrests dozens ahead of rallies by Rana Jawad
7 minutes ago


ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistani security forces rounded up dozens of lawyers and Islamists ahead of protests Friday over President Pervez Musharraf's internationally condemned sacking of the country's top judge.

Riot police threw a ring of steel around Islamabad, where Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was due to attend a second hearing into misconduct charges brought by military ruler Musharraf.

Around 30 people including several hardline Muslim MPs were seized in overnight raids in the capital, while police in the eastern city of Lahore detained more than 50 people, officials said.

Those held in Lahore included the president of the high court bar association, who was later freed, and a senior leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) or United Action Front, an alliance of Islamic parties.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070316/wl_asia_afp/pakistanjusticeprotest_070316080210

[Eugene]

4. Reuters: Pakistani riot police storm TV channel's office

Pakistani riot police storm TV channel's office
16 Mar 2007 13:21:05 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Augustine Anthony

ISLAMABAD, March 16 (Reuters) - Pakistani riot police stormed a private
television channel's offices and tear-gassed employees after its editors
refused to stop broadcasting pictures of protests in Islamabad over moves
to sack the country's top judge.

Geo News Bureau Chief Hamid Mir said on television that police broke
windows, scuffled with staff and released teargas in the office, as the
hearing against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary resumed in the nearby
Supreme Court.

-snip-

The government's behaviour has fuelled speculation that the independent-
minded judge was being sacked because he might oppose any move by
President Pervez Musharraf to retain his role as army chief, which under
the constitution he should relinquish this year.

A panel of Pakistani judges hearing the case against Chaudhary later ruled
on Friday that all restrictions on him should be removed, the judge's
lawyers said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP50923.htm

[Eugene]

5. AP: Musharraf Defends Removal of Chief Judge

Musharraf Defends Removal of Chief Judge


Saturday March 17, 2007 4:16 PM

AP Photo LHR109

By MUNIR AHMAD

Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - President Gen. Pervez Musharraf defended
his decision to remove Pakistan's chief justice and insisted Saturday
that he had no personal differences with the former top judge.

Musharraf has faced a growing crisis since March 9, when he suspended
Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry over unspecified
allegations that the judge had abused his authority.


-snip-

Addressing a rally Saturday in the eastern city of Pakpatan, Musharraf
said he had "no personal differences" with Chaudhry, and had acted
against the judge after receiving a case against him from the prime
minister.

-snip-

The case against Chaudhry, who is vowing to fight to keep his job,
has been adjourned until March 21.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6488218,00.html