ISLAMABAD, March 14: Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has categorically denied reports that the issue of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry reflected a tussle between two organs of the state.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, he also denied reports that Justice Iftikhar had been summoned by the uniformed president to the Army House and claimed that the meeting had taken place at the request of the chief justice.
He brushed aside an impression that every important decision was taken by President Pervez Musharraf. “Believe me, there are many matters which are decided at a lower level,” he said.
When asked at what level the decision to ‘manhandle’ the Chief Justice had been taken, he said he did not want to comment on sub judice matters and pointed out that the Supreme Judicial Council had taken suo motu notice of the incident.
He said the decision to make the Chief Justice non-functional had been taken by the SJC and all its members were playing their role in accordance with the provisions of the constitutions. “It’s a matter of the court and let the court decide it,” he said, declaring that the government would respect the view of the council.
He said the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Rana Baghwandas, was out of the country and the senior-most available judge had, therefore, been appointed as the acting chief justice. “Nobody can replace Justice Baghwandas and he will assume charge as acting chief justice when he returns to Pakistan on March 23,” he said.
Unlike other ministers, Sheikh Rashid did not claim that Justice Chaudhry was a free man and said: “If he has been detained in his house and his children have not been allowed to go to schools, it is something which should not have happened.”
Answering a question, he denied reports that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had been called back to the country, asking him to cut short his visit to Uzbekistan. He said the prime minister had decided before leaving here to come back after an overnight stay in Tashkent.
He said there was no constitutional or judicial crisis in the country.
