Iftikhar Chaudhry's counsel sees conspiracy to curtail CJ's tenure, if restored

LAHORE: The present day establishment in Pakistan is hatching a new conspiracy to see that deposed Pakistani chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry's tenure is cut short soon after his restoration, said the CJ's counsel Hamid Khan. According to him, the conspiracy was to bring a constitutional package with a view to curtail the tenure of chief justice, in case his tenure is restored by the new Yousuf Raza Gillani government by restoring the pre-Nov 3 constitution. The countdown for 30-day period for the judges' restoration had begun, he said and added that the coming days were the most important period of Pakistan's political history. Speaking at a seminar in Lahore last evening, he pointed out that he had some information that a constitutional package might be introduced after the restoration of November 3 judiciary and whereby the chief justice would have to leave the CJP office in April. He said the establishment had also initiated a move that CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday and Justice Falak Sher must not be restored at any cost. He made it clear that the lawyers would not accept the restoration of judges sans one or two judges, adding that the lawyers wanted the restoration of all judges that were deposed under the garb of PCO on November 3. CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was a constitutional CJ and would remain so till December 2013 after getting the superannuating age, The Nation quoted him as saying. The counsel also said that the judges who had taken oath after the restoration of constitution would also have to go home with PCO judges because they had taken oath under the PCO constitution. After the imposition of PCO even some corrupt persons had been made judge of the Supreme Court, he added.