Musharraf says judge row is out of his hands

PAKISTAN: President Pervez Musharraf said Thursday that it was up to Pakistan’s judiciary to resolve a snowballing controversy over his attempt to sack the country’s top judge.

Lawyers and opposition groups staged violent protests this week after military ruler Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry last Friday on charges of misconduct and abuse of power.

Chaudhry appeared before Pakistan’s Supreme Judicial Council on Tuesday — where he alleged that his dismissal was unconstitutional — and the panel is due to hear his case again on Friday amid tight security.

“This is a constitutional and judicial matter,” the official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency quoted General Musharraf as telling a large public gathering in the central city of Gujranwala.

“The decision would be constitutional and to be taken by the judiciary itself... whatever decision it (the Supreme Judicial Council) takes would be acceptable to me”.

Musharraf said he believed the council would “deliver justice” but said he regretted the fact that the issue was “being politicised and used for political point-scoring through the lawyers’ community.”

“Once the decision is taken by the SJC, I would address the nation on TV and take them into confidence about the issue,” he added.

Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher said Thursday that the issue was “sensitive” and needed to be handled carefully.

“We understand the sensitivity of actions involving the judiciary,” he told a news conference at the US embassy in Islamabad after holding talks with Musharraf, a key ally in the US-led “war on terror”.

“It’s a sensitive matter and obviously needs to be handled carefully, but it’s something that needs to be handled by the Pakistanis in their own way,” he added.

Pakistan’s acting chief Javed Iqbal meanwhile has summoned the Islamabad police chief and other officers for allegedly “manhandling” Chaudhry, a Supreme Court spokesman said Thursday.

Television footage showed police officers apparently restraining Chaudhry when he tried to walk to the Supreme Court on Tuesday. He later made his way by car to the court.

“The inspector general, deputy inspector general, senior superintendent police and deputy superintendent of police will appear before the Supreme Court on March 19 to explain their position,” the spokesman said.

Police in pre-dawn raids Thursday detained some two dozen political workers in the eastern city of Lahore, ahead of a protest planned by the opposition.

“We have detained 24 individuals after intelligence reports that they posed a threat to the peace and security in the city,” a senior Lahore police officer told AFP.

Major political parties, including those of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif as well as an alliance of six Islamic parties, have joined hands to stage rallies after Friday prayers.

“It is our right to protest the suspension and subsequent manhandling of the chief justice and we will go ahead with our protest despite police threats,” Ameerul Azeem, a spokesman for the Islamic alliance, told AFP.

More than 20 lawyers were injured on Monday when police used batons to break up their rally in Lahore.

Meanwhile the United States expressed its “deep concern” Thursday over the dismissal of Pakistan’s chief justice by President Pervez Musharraf, a key Washington ally in the war on terrorism.

“It is a matter of deep concern and we believe that the resolution of this matter should take place in a way that is completely transparent and strictly in accordance with Pakistan’s laws,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

McCormack said US diplomats in Pakistan had discussed the issue with government officials in an effort to understand the situation and that Washington will continue monitoring the matter “very closely”.

“It’s essential for any developing democracy to adhere to the rule of law and conduct any investigations, any proceedings that may follow on from those investigations in a clear, above board, transparent manner that strictly accords with Pakistan’s laws,” he said. Meanwhile a group of England’s lawyers, including Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife Cherie Booth, voiced concern at the dismissal of Pakistan’s chief justice by President Pervez Musharraf.

“The reports of the humiliating treatment of the chief justice of Pakistan is causing great international unease, and is not in the interest of the government of Pakistan, and lowers the international esteem of Pakistan,” the 70 lawyers said in a petition.

“We wish to show our solidarity for our professional colleagues in Pakistan, who are at the forefront of upholding the constitution and the rights of the people of Pakistan, whose welfare and security are under threat.

“We call upon the government of Pakistan to allow the chief justice a fair, free and public trial.

Islamabad, Washington, London, Friday, AFP