LAHORE, Sept 19 Former de facto Chief Justice of Pakistan Abdul Hameed Dogar has decided to file a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and recent appointments in the judiciary.

The decision was taken during his two-day visit to Lahore, where he met removed judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the Islamabad High Court (IHC), said a dismissed judge who attended the meeting held at the residence of IHC's ex-judge Ramzan Chaudhry.

The judge said Justice Dogar had a family engagement in Pakpattan, from where he came to Lahore to felicitate Ramzan Chaudhry on performing Umrah.

During his stay at the residence of Ramzan Chaudhry, some other removed judges, along with former attorney-general Malik Muhammad Qayyum, also visited him. The judges who joined Justice Dogar included Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon, Anwarul Haq Pannu and Intikhab Shah.

The judge told Dawn that the ex-judges decided to file a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court calling into question what they believed was a reappointment of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry through an executive order on March 16.

Besides challenging the holding of the office of the CJP by Justice Iftikhar, the petition would also ask for a review of the recent appointments in judiciary with the consultation of the incumbent CJP, terming it a violation of procedure decided in the Charter of Democracy (CoD).

Against recent appointments of judges, the removed judges have a plea that as the review petitions against the July 31 judgment were still pending before the SC and the matter was subjudice, the new judges could not be appointed.

The constitutional petition would be filed before Oct 10, the day when Justice Iftikhar is scheduled to visit the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

The removed judges believe that the upcoming visit of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry is a part of Supreme Court Bar Association elections scheduled for October.