KARACHI, July 20: Opposition leaders on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict in favour of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and termed it a “historic victory” in the struggle for the supremacy of law and Constitution.

In conversations with Dawn correspondents, they said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf and his dispensation “must now pack up”.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto said the verdict was most “remarkable” and a “giant step forward for ensuring independence of the judiciary” and “supremacy of the Constitution and the parliament”. She commended the role played by the chief justice, lawyers, civil society, media and political parties in the movement. Noting that a number of important issues, including the case of missing persons were awaiting judicial review, she hoped that the judicial activism demonstrated by the apex court would continue.

Ms Bhutto said the court proceedings had also brought into focus the role of intelligence agencies in the country and expressed the need for holding them accountable. Pakistan Muslim League chief Nawaz Sharif said the verdict was “a historic step towards constitutional rule”, adding that Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday and his fellow judges deserved to be congratulated for providing the nation with a ray of hope. Mr Sharif said there was now no moral or ethical justification for President Musharraf to continue in office. He claimed that after the verdict the ‘doctrine of necessity’ had been buried once and for all. He added that the country was now standing on the brink of ridding itself from the curse of dictatorship and military rule. He said the newly formed All Parties Democratic Movement would lead this struggle.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rehman appreciated the verdict and urged President Musharraf to show courage and resign. “President Musharraf should quit the post of president and chief of the army staff after the verdict,” he said. He urged the legal fraternity to continue its struggle. “It is high time that we join forces to give an end to the military rule in politics once and for all,” he added.

Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan claimed that the “reinstatement of the chief justice is the first phase of peoples’ struggle. The next phase of this endless struggle would culminate with the restoration of the 1973 Constitution in its entirety”. He said the decision was reflective of the feelings of people and the nation was not ready to accept any pressure from the military-led government and wanted restoration of democracy, supremacy of parliament, freedom of media and establishment of rule of law.

Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that those who had initiated the reference against the chief justice should now step down. “If Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is responsible for initiating the reference, he should accept his responsibility and quit,” he said. When asked why he had not mentioned President Musharraf, he said: “I say whosoever is responsible for initiating the reference should leave.”

MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed said: “The decision has come at a time when the Supreme Court is poised to hear and decide a number of crucial matters - the issue of the president’s re-election in uniform by the outgoing assemblies being the most crucial,” he said. He said the court would also be approached to decide if Gen Musharraf could contest for the office of president before two years even if he doffed the uniform.

ARD secretary-general Zafar Iqbal Jhagra said the decision warranted a bright future for the country.

National Party secretary-general Mir Hasil Bizenjo urged rulers to respect the will of the people by holding fresh elections and handing over power to elected representatives.

Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Paleejo said: “This decision will open the gates of progress for the nation, which were barred by the world imperialism and its agents here in Pakistan since this country came into being.”

Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said: “With this historic victory the responsibility of judiciary has increased.”

National Peoples’ Party chairman Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi termed the verdict in line with the dream of Quaid-i-Azam.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain ‘whole heartedly’ accepted the verdict and reiterated his party’s ‘unflinching belief’ in the supremacy and independence of judiciary.