Cases against military rule adjourned

By Amit Baruah

ISLAMABAD, JAN. 31. A new-look Pakistani Supreme Court, chaired by the recently- appointed Chief Justice, Mr. Irshad Hassan Khan, today adjourned hearing till March 1 in a set of petitions calling for the return to constitutional rule.

Mr. Justice Khan, who came to occupy the post after the earlier incumbent, Mr. Justice Saiduzzaman Siddiqui, and five other judges, refused to take a fresh oath of allegiance to military rule, repeatedly stated during the hearing that the ``basic issues'' were the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) no. 1 and the Emergency Proclamation of October 14, 1999.

The Chief Justice told one of the petitioners, Mr. Zafar Ali Shah, a suspended PML(N) member of Parliament, that he should amend his petition by removing the challenge to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance.

Mr. Justice Khan, who headed a seven-judge bench, took exception to the absence of the former Law Minister, Mr. Khalid Anwar, who is the principal counsel of the PML(N). ``Why did he (Mr. Anwar) not come?'' he asked a junior lawyer, also appearing in the case. ``Does he not have any respect for this court? Tell him to be careful.''

Several leading lights of the PML (N), including the ``suspended'' Speaker, Mr. Illahi Buksh Soomro, and the ``suspended'' Senate Chairman, Mr. Wasim Sajjad, were present at the hearing along with former Ministers and members of the ``suspended'' Parliament.

When lawyers for Mr. Shah and the PML(N) asked for time to file rejoinders to the reply presented by the Pakistani Federation to their petitions, the Chief Justice consulted the Attorney- General, Mr. Aziz Munshi, and then passed orders that the case be taken up for hearing on March 1.

In the interim period, the petitioners could peruse the Government's reply and file their rejoinders.

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Section  : International
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