KARACHI, Dec 27: Justice Rana Bhagwandas, the senior-most Judge of the Supreme Court, on Wednesday took over as Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan in the absence of Chief Justice Mr Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who has proceeded to Saudi Arabia for Haj.

Mr Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, a Supreme Court Judge, administered the oath at a ceremony held at the Supreme Court Branch Registry, here.

The simple but impressive ceremony was conducted by the SC registrar and attended by judicial luminaries, including

SC judges, acting chief justice and judges of the Sindh High Court, former SC chief justices and judges, deputy attorney-general of Pakistan, judges of the lower courts, presidents and other office-bearers of the SC, SHC and Karachi bar associations, besides top-ranking judicial and executive officials.

Talking to the media after the ceremony, Mr Justice Rana Bhagwandas said that the Supreme Court was working on a judicial reforms programme under which rule of law and safeguarding rights of people was the main agenda.—APP