Islamabad, February 14: The Pakistani Supreme Court has struck down a presidential appointment of a top judge in an emergency ruling, pushing the country into a new crisis.
On Saturday, the Supreme Court suspended President Asif Ali Zardari’s decree appointing Khawaja Sharif as the chief justice of the Lahore High Court.
The showdown came after Zardari ignored a nomination from Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
The Constitution says the president must consult with the Supreme Court over the appointment of new judges.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the president issued the order under constitutional provisions.
“We have always acted constitutionally,” he stated. “We will take any step in future as required by the law and Constitution.”
Chaudhry has put the ball in Zardari’s court, but it is unclear what the Pakistani president’s next move will be.
The emergency ruling threatens Zardari’s weak government at a time when Pakistan is grappling with growing militancy and financial crises.
A divisive political showdown with judges was credited with helping oust former President Pervez Musharraf in 2008.
——-Agencies