CJP Crisis: Where is Pakistan’s Prime Minister?

Guest Post by Kruman

The single most important issue raised in the affidavit filed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was that the president did not have a reference from the Prime Minister when they met in the GHQ on March 9, 2007. The president has kept insisting that he merely performed his constitutional duty to forward the reference submitted by the Prime Minister to the SJC.

This statement by the president was challenged (by implication) in the affidavit filed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). CJP’s affidavit stated that the president only had hand-written notes during their meeting on March 9th i.e. no reference had been submitted by the PM till then. This is a very serious allegation against the president as it implies that the presidential reference was prepared after the CJP refused to resign on March 9. It was expected that the PM would file an affidavit (in support of Musharraf’s position) clarifying that he (Shaukat Aziz) had submitted a reference to the president prior to the president/CJP meeting on march 9 2007.

Interestingly, Sharifuddin Pirzada stated this week in the Supreme Court hearings that if the reference was not forwarded by the PM then it should be nullified.

The affidavits filed by DG MI, DG IB and President’s Chief of Staff have circumvented the issue above. The most important player in this crisis, after the president and CJP, the Prime Minister has preferred to stay mum. All of these are ominous signs for the president, general Pervez Musharraf. In a meeting with his allies in the parliament he complained that he felt alone in the current crisis. His isolation seems to be growing.

Dillam dar aashiqi awarah shud, awara tar bada
Tanam as bay dilli baycharah shud, baychara tar bada

My heart is lost in love, may this state ever grow
I have gotten helpless in this state, may this helplessness ever grow
(Hazrat Amir Khusro)