Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry excused himself from hearing a review petition filed against bail granted to former dictator Pervez Musharraf in the judges detention case, Express News reported on Monday.
The apex court registrar's office had scheduled hearing for this review petition under a three-member bench headed by the chief justice.
Justice Chaudhry, however, asked the office to constitute a new bench for this purpose.
The hearing of the case has now been delayed for a week.
The Islamabad High Court had granted bail to Musharraf on June 11 against a surety bond.
Musharraf is accused of illegally and unlawfully detaining 60 judges of the superior court after promulgating emergency and Provisional Constitutional Order in the country.
COMMENTS (19)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Long live Musharraf and Pakistan army.Down with Hypocrite judiciary, biased Media and Useless politcal parties.
Wonderful magnanimity exhibited by our very own cheap justice also respected father of one and only arsalan
This is just propaganda and cheap publicity stunts by the CJ. Did the registrar not know that the CJ should not hear Musharraf's cases, and has CJ not istructed him or her to do so in the first place? Why nominate first and then recuse? It does not matter, his cronies in the SC will do his job for him.
So much for the integrity of this Institution ! Another serious flaw as to their capabilities and operation ! This is democracy of the selected few ! A serious charade to it either a Democracy or a real Judiciary ! This Country has really not learned any lesson in six decades and is likely to learn any before it implodes from within ! So much for Dreams that were flawed from the start by its original creators, they too were not really perfect, but simply wanted to play their card ! Hence the current climate in the region .
@Shakir Lakhani: you are missing the point - the chief justice forms the benches himself for important cases - why include himself first and then recuse instead of not sitting in the first place. For headlines? I don't know.
It's an unwritten rule that where conflict of interest is involved, a person can't preside over the case. Here, the Chief Justice was one of the victims of Musharraf's high-handedness. Obviously, Mr. Musharraf's lawyers would have objected if he had decided to sit on the bench. Perhaps the most well-known case in Pakistan of a judge delivering a verdict in a matter where his own interest was involved was that of Justice Taqi Usmani ordering all Pakistani banks to cease interest-based banking and switch over to so-called "interest-free" banking. The Supreme Court later chastised Mr. Usmani for deciding the case, as he was on the board of 200 financial institutions dealing in interest-free banking.
He has excused but his appointed and favourite subordinate Judges will hear it and will give the judgment according to his wishes..
so does it make differences if he has excused?
How come the judicial dictator would step back? Its an eye wash as the judicial maafia still would follow cheap justice
In the blind history of Pakistan; the destructive role of Pakistan security establishment, agencies and army has been dominant. These forces had never let democracy and justice system to grow and mature, had always made obstacles through political bargaining, propaganda and had violated the constitution and basic rights brutally. They had always been involved in creating critical situation in the country and beyond the boundaries.
First the man provokes, actually incites, people to start a litigation against the former president, President Musharraf, which's extremely in bad taste, unethical if not downright illegal and now this pretend fairness. I don't want to sound like a hater of this Chief Justice, one out of milions, however I do wish to be on record that I detest this pretend neutrality of justice, after all who doesn't know who this other fair minded man, the Registrar, happens to be. You can play, justice, justice if that's what pleases your little minds.
thats fine - so long as he keeps out of "guiding" and influencing the judges who are hearing the cases.Just a point to remember, iftikhar wanted to hear the proceedings in his beloved son's case until he was pushed out because of vested interest!people do not have short memories.
Where will they find judges who don't hate Musharraf.
This case is itself a challenge for entire judicial system of Pakistan and the nature of treason case against General Musharraf is quite absurd. They should release Musharraf immediately and let him present his manifesto. Government and Judiciary is just playing delay tactics and none of them have enough corage to charge Musharraf is these cases.
Unfortunately, the man who fought for Pakistan is being kept in jail custody by our Prime Minister. He should step forward and intervene for an early resolution of this matter and the more they delay the more it will get complicated.
Everyone should open thier eyes and have a glance of Musharraf regime in past, i am sure most of educated and loyal people would find the answer.
Sub say pehlay Pakistan....AH !
Cheap Justice?
I'm fairly certain he has not 'excused' himself - the correct term is recused.
Rule of law redifined just make to the head lines . Good job supreme court .
As it goes, the most honest are in the deepest of troubles, and those who have plundered the public coffers are at the helm of affairs
He should be ashamed rather excusing. He has legitimized Musharraf's actions. He should be prosecuted first.