Islamabad, February 18: The Pakistani government has finally accepted all recommendations made by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, averting a potentially destabilizing political dispute in the country.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters on Wednesday that the government has accepted recommendations by the chief justice in removing Supreme Court judges Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa and ad hoc Khalilur Rehman Ramday. According to the premier, Judge Khawaja Muhammad Sharif will continue serving as the Lahore High Court chief justice.
President Asif Ali Zardar had earlier appointed the judges to serve in the Supreme Court, a move described as non-constitutional by the judiciary. The move sparked protests from the country lawyers who rallied in against Zardari and in support of the judiciary.
“The decision to replace the judges has dispelled political tension and will boost stability,” Press TV correspondent quoted Gilani as saying. The Supreme Court said Zardari’s orders violated the constitution.
The president’s already strained relations with the judiciary worsened after the Supreme Court removed his immunity against prosecution last November.
——-Agencies