Pak govt restores four more sacked judges

Rezaul H. Laskar

Islamabad, Aug 30 (PTI) Pakistan government Saturday
reappointed another four judges sacked by former President
Pervez Musharraf, taking to 12 the number of justices restored
since Wednesday amid allegations that it was pursuing policy
of 'selective' reinstatement.

The four judges of the Lahore High Court, who were among
60 deposed during last year's emergency, were administered
oath by provincial Chief Justice Syed Zahid Hussain Bukhari at
a simple ceremony in the eastern city. Judges, law officers of
the federal and provincial governments and lawyers affiliated
to the ruling Pakistan People's Party attended the event.

The federal government's policy of 'selectively'
reinstating the judges has been criticised by the influential
lawyers' movement and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which
pulled out of the P.P.P.-led coalition after accusing party
co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari of reneging on agreements to
restore all the judges.

Office-bearers of the Lahore High Court Bar Association
did not attend today's ceremony to register their protest.
Strict security arrangements were put in place for the event
and ordinary persons were not allowed to enter the venue.

In a notification, the federal Law Ministry said that the
strength of the Lahore High Court had been raised to 60
judges. But with the addition of four judges, the High Court
still only has 37 judges.

Bukhari and judges of the High Court also hosted a
reception for visiting Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul
Hameed Dogar, who was appointed by Musharraf after sacking
his predecessor Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

On Wednesday, eight deposed judges of the Sindh High
Court were restored to their positions after taking a fresh
oath. An official of the federal Law Ministry had then said
that the move signalled the beginning of the process to
reinstate all deposed members of the superior judiciary.

The lawyers' movement and the P.M.L.-N. had then said
that all the deposed judges should have been reinstated at one
go. The P.P.P. began the process of reinstating the judges two
days after the P.M.L.-N. pulled out of the ruling coalition.

The deposed judges had earlier refused offers to return
to their jobs, insisting on the reinstatement of all of them
including Chief Justice Chaudhry, but the P.P.P.-led
government has succeeded in getting some of them to agree to
fresh appointments.

Musharraf, who resigned as President on August 18, sacked
the judges who did not endorse the emergency he imposed last
year. He acted at a time when it appeared that Chaudhry would
rule against his re-election in uniform.