Iftikhar says judges will cautiously pursue their cause
By Nasir Iqbal and Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, March 24: Deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Monday hinted that he and his colleagues would cautiously pursue their cause.
He was addressing a cheerful crowd who had gathered outside his residence to celebrate the first significant change in Islamabad after the newly-elected Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani ordered the administration to free all detained judges.
Accompanied by Supreme Court Bar Association’s President Aitzaz Ahsan, Tariq Mehmood and Athar Minallah, his six-year-old son Balaj and two daughers, Justice Iftikhar appeared in the balcony of his house for the first time in more than four months to tell the crowd that he still needed their support.
“I would need your support in future to reach our destination together with utmost care without creating any hindrance in the way,” Justice Iftikhar told the crowd who showered rose petals when he waved back, acknowledging their support.
“I thanked the people of Pakistan for their continuing … struggle on behalf of all judges of the Supreme Court as well as the high courts who were detained illegally and unconstitutionally on Nov 3, 2007 (when President Pervez Musharraf proclaimed emergency),” Justice Iftikhar said.
The heavy police contingent deployed at the entrance of Judges Colony and outside the house of Justice Iftikhar did not stop anyone from proceeding towards the residence of the deposed chief justice.
Instead of being tear-gassed or baton-charged, the police appeared to welcome the move and helped people cross the barbed wire barricading the area.
Other deposed judges of Supreme Court who had been confined in the same area included Justices Sardar Raza Mohammad Khan, Mian Shakirullah Jan, Nasirul Mulk and Javed Iqbal.
Workers of the Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim Leauge-N, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-i-Islami, lawyers and some representatives of the civil society and journalists arrived there at about 6pm and scaled the walls of the residence of deposed chief justice and gathered in the lawn. Teams of TV channels also reached there, covering the event live.
Balaj, the younger son of the deposed chief justice, appeared first in the balcony and waved at the people.
A large number of people were also seen distributing sweets and dancing to the beat of drums while chanting slogans against President Pervez Musharraf.
“By the looks of the spontaneous people’s reaction, it looks like people are celebrating some kind of festival,” observed Ms Nahid, a house wife who had also scaled the locked gates of the chief justice’s residence.
However, Aitzaz Ahsan repeatedly requested the people not to raise slogans and maintain dignity of the official residence.
Inside the house, Justice Iftikhar received lawyers, journalists and common people who managed to come inside his drawing room.
Both Barrister Ahsan and Tariq Mehmood also sliced a cake to welcome the orders of newly-elected prime minister of removing hurdles towards the Judge’s Enclave.
Justice Javed Iqbal, who joined as the head of the Press Council soon after being deposed, also congratulated Justice Iftikhar.
“I am here to congratulate Justice Iftikhar,” he told Dawn and justified his acceptance of the new job by saying that he had done it during the transition phase and he would resume his office as the senior most judge of the Supreme Court after the retirement of Justice Rana Bhagwandas and restoration of all deposed judges.
“I was restrained to perform my judicial functions … but since all lacunae had been removed, I would perform my constitutional duties.”
Asma Jahangir said she was opposed to the detention of the judges. “We expect that the judges would not align themselves with the executive by invoking infamous doctrine of necessity.”
In Lahore, soon after Mr Gilani’s speech, lawyers, political workers, mediapersons and people from all walks of life gathered in front of Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday’s residence and chanted slogans against President Musharraf.
Justice Ramday came out of his residence and expressed optimism that the judges would go back to work very soon.
The crowd showered flowers on Justice Ramday and called for restoration of all deposed judges.
