Re: Pakistan’s top judge is suspended (Merged)
** Dogar declines govt offer to prosecute CJP’s case**
Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE - Senior lawyer and President Pakistan Lawyers’ Forum AK Dogar has declined government offer to prosecute its presidential reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry pending before the Supreme Judicial Council.
He termed the offer of the government as his insult and said he was the first lawyer who challenged the military assault on the democracy before the Supreme Court and never would favour the military government.
Dogar disclosed this in a letter, written to Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) President Ahsan Bhoon, requesting him to convey his protest to the military government. He said despite his repeated denial, the government officials from Karachi had contacted him four times requesting to represent it before the SJC.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2007/31/localnews3.php
SC may interpret Article 209, says Qayyum
SAJID ZIA
LAHORE - The Supreme Court may in the first instance, interpret Article 209 of the Constitution to settle down certain points which strike the popular mind with regard to the reference.
Questions including whether a reference can be filed against a sitting Chief Justice and whether an Acting Chief Justice can sit in Supreme Judicial Council to hear the same, are striking minds of most of the people. And in order to satisfy them, these questions may be addressed at the Court level, opined former president Supreme Court Bar Association Malik Qayyum while talking this scribe Friday.
He said the ministry of law had contacted him to plead for the government in the reference before the Supreme Judicial Council but he straightway refused the offer arguing he cannot go against the popular sentiments on the reference. Now the government has engaged Senator Wasim Sajjad for this purpose and he is compelled to serve being a senator on ruling side.