LAHORE, Sept 3: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry on Wednesday defended the LFO, saying that it had become part of the 1973 Constitution and any further debate on it was meaningless.

While talking to reporters after the oath-taking of eight additional judges of the LHC, the CJ said that observance of the 1973 Constitution was the prime responsibility of judiciary, and it would execute this responsibility with utmost dedication and honesty.

When asked how could the judiciary claim to abide by the 1973 constitution in the presence of judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order, the CJ said the LFO had become part of the constitution and was not controversial any more.

With regard to the progress made by the LHC fact-finding commission probing the judges’ killing in Sialkot Jail last month, the CJ said the commission had submitted its final report to him.

The LHC would decide if it should hold a trial of the accused directly or entrust the task to the anti-terrorism court after the completion of police investigations, the CJ said.