July 22, 2007	Sunday	Rajab 06, 1428

ISLAMABAD, July 21: Opposition members have submitted resolutions to both houses of the parliament on the Friday’s Supreme Court judgment that restored Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and dropped the presidential reference against him.

According to sources, the resolution submitted to the Senate Secretariat bears the signatures of 12 senators, while a similar resolution moved in the National Assembly Secretariat carries the signatures of 16 MNAs.

The resolution, which was submitted by Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi on Saturday, stated: “This house appreciates and congratulates the nation on the historic judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the petition of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry announced on July 20, 2007.”

The resolutions have been signed by opposition members belonging to the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Awami National Party (ANP), National Party (NP) and Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

Talking to Dawn, Opposition Leader in the Senate Raza Rabbani said that they had moved the resolution to express the sentiments of the public and to pay tributes to the tremendous struggle of the people, led by the lawyers, for the independence of judiciary.

He, however, said the real test would come when major national and constitutional issues would come before the court and it was to be seen whether the Supreme Court continued to maintain its independent position.

Mr Rabbani said he was sure that the SC would maintain its independence in the same manner.

He expressed the hope that the SC decision would not only strengthen the judiciary but also other democratic institutions.

He was of the view that the SC decision would also help end the current spate of terrorism in the country as now the people would get relief from the courts if the state tried to usurp their rights through use of force.

The PPP leader said after this decision, the rulers had no moral or political justification to stay in power, adding that the verdict had also proved that no dictator could face the people’s movement, though spearheaded by lawyers.

Minister of State for Information Senator Tariq Azeem, when contacted, said it was the right of the opposition members to move a resolution in the parliament. However, he said, it was upto the house to decide about it after holding a debate.

He said the government had already welcomed the SC decision believing that it would strengthen the judiciary. He said the government had always maintained that it was a legal and not a political issue.

The senate resolution has been signed by Raza Rabbani, Enver Baig, Sardar Latif Khosa, Dr Safdar Abbasi and Dr Babar Awan of the PPP; Sardar Mahtab Abbasi, Ishaq Dar and Sadia Abbasi of the PML-N; Prof Khursheed Ahmed of the MMA; ANP’s Asfandyar Wali Khan; Dr Abdul Malik of the NP and Abdur Rahim Khan of the PkMAP.

The MNAs who have filed the resolution are Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Sherry Rehman, Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Yasmeen Rehman, Zamarrud Khan, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, Nawab Yusuf Talpur, Nayyar Bokhari, Syed Naveed Qamar, Naheed Khan, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Khurshid Shah and Mehreen Anwar Raja of the PPP and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Khwaja Asif and Tehmina Daultana of the PML-N.