ISLAMABAD, May 8: President Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday that he had sent the reference received from Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz against the Chief Justice of Pakistan to the Supreme Judicial Council after being “convinced about its validity”.

“I was convinced about the reference and that was why it was sent to the SJC by setting aside personal relationships,” the president said while addressing the 13th convocation of the Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineering College in Rawalpindi.

“I found some serious observations against the chief justice and decided to confront him,” he said.

He said he had no option but to fulfil his constitutional duties irrespective of their fallout.

President Musharraf said he had nothing personal against the chief justice.

“I am of the strong view that while dealing with the matters of state, personal and social relationships must be set aside as state and the nation come first,” he said. In matters of state one had to rise above personal relations and social contacts, he said.He said extremism and terrorism were the main impediment in the way of progress. He stressed that nobody had the right to impose his views on others. He urged the educated youth to help combat extremism, terrorism and hatred.

He said Rs250 billion would be spent on setting up nine top quality science and technology universities over the next five years.

He said allocation for education had been increased from 2.7 per cent to four per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.