AG conveys PM's message to CJ

ISLAMABAD In a bid to ease the latest confrontation which erupted between the judiciary and the Government on the issue of the judges appointment in the superior judiciary, Attorney General of Pakistan, Anwar Mansoor Khan, with a serious and important message of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Sunday, TheNation has learnt reliably. The Attorney General, who was in Karachi on Saturdays night, left for Islamabad as the Prime Ministers office rang him up that the Prime Minister wanted to see him on early Sunday at Islamabad, sources said. An hour-long meeting between the Prime Minister and Attorney General discussed the current judicial crisis prevailing in the country. After the meeting, the Prime Minister asked the Attorney General to call on the Chief Justice and convey his message that the Government did not want confrontation with the judiciary at any cost, the sources added. Convey my humble message to the Chief Justice of Pakistan that I will request President Asif Ali Zardari to withdraw the order and let the Supreme Court to take the final decision, the Attorney Generals sources quoting the PM as saying told TheNation. After the meeting, the Attorney General approached the Chief Justice for meeting who was present at his chamber in the Supreme Court despite an off-day (Sunday). The informed sources told TheNation that the meeting was extremely important. The Attorney General informed the Chief Justice that the Prime Minister would request President Asif Ali Zardari to withdraw his order regarding elevation of Lahore High Court Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif as the Supreme Courts judge and appointment of Justice Saqib Nisar as Acting Chief Justice of LHC. Besides, the Supreme Courts sources also told this scribe that the Attorney General informed the Chief Justice that the President would also not send judicial reference against Justice Saqib Nisar and Justice Khawaja Sahrif to the Supreme Judicial Council under Article 209 of the Constitution. The Attorney General also clarified his position before the Chief Justice about his absence from the court during Saturday hearing. He said that he was holding consultations with the President about appointment of the judges. He said the Government doesnt want confrontation among the state institutions, the sources added. Meanwhile, a top legal expert told TheNation that the President certainly would not send the reference against aforesaid judges because he had already violated the Constitution. The Registrar of the Supreme Court also confirmed that the meeting between the Chief Justice and the Attorney General held at the Supreme Court on Sunday. This reporter repeatedly requested the Attorney General of Pakistan at his office of the Supreme Court to give some details about the meeting agenda but he avoided to tell anything in this regard. I just called on Chief Justice as I could not be able to appear before the court on Saturdays night as I was playing the role of a bridge between the Supreme Court and the Government, he said. TheNation also tried to contact Presidential Spokesman, Farhatullah Babar to know whether the President intended to send reference against the above mentioned judges or not but he did not attend the call till filing of this story. Even this reporter sent his question through a SMS but he did not reply. It is also worth mentioning here that the apex court suspended President Asif Ali Zardaris orders pertaining to the judges appointment in the superior judiciary terming it as violation of Article 177 of the Constitution. The apex court also passed an order, sating, No step shall be taken by the Federation pertaining to the judges appointment in the superior courts till further order of the apex court.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt