PESHAWAR, March 10: The People’s Party Parliamentarians and Awami National Party have condemned the action against Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and termed it a maneuvered move by Gen Pervez Musharraf to bulldoze the judiciary and pave way for getting himself elected for another term from the existing parliament.
Talking to Dawn, former interior minister and PPP’s central leader Naseerullah Babar alleged that the action against Justice Chaudhry had exposed the conspiracy hatched by the government against the judiciary.
He said Gen Musharraf was afraid of Justice Chaudhry because he was not toeing the political line of the military ruler.
“It smacks an indecent move against Justice Chaudhry who has to stay till December 2013 in his office. Gen Musharraf cannot afford to see him for another six years in the office”.
The PPP leader said the action against Justice Chaudhry showed that rulers were trying to destroy the national institutions for their personal gains.
He said that the PPP after coming to power would bring all corrupt elements to courts, who had fraudulently occupied the state land across the country.
Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan said that the presidential action against Justice Chaudhry has further undermined the authority and credibility of the country’s judiciary.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, he said: “There is a strong impression that the reason for getting rid of the chief justice is some of the court decisions, including the judgment on Steel Mill case.”
He said undermining the judiciary’s independence, especially in the year of general elections, had only raised concerns about fairness of the next polls.
“The ANP demands that the government should stop violating Constitution, listen to the bench and bar, and ensure transfer of powers to elected representatives of the people after free and fair elections,” he said.
