Adil Najam
In what is clearly a historic development, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani addressed the nation to announce the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. The address, which was supposed to be at 2AM Pakistan Time, was late by many hours but the subtext was true to the rumors that had been circulating in Pakistan all day:
Here is the full text of the Prime Minister’s speech:
My dear countrymen Assalam-o-Alaikum,
I am speaking to you at a time when our country is standing at a critical moment. No country can make progress without political tolerance and the PPP and lawyers have been together in struggle for upholding democracy in Pakistan. Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto actively participated in the struggle of restoration of judiciary was launched by lawyers. Benazir Bhutto wanted free judiciary and supremacy of the constitution.
The lawyers’ movement for restoring of judges was their democratic right. The PPP was shoulder to shoulder with the lawyers in the cause for the independent judiciary.
The slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto also wanted to reinstate the deposed chief justice.
I have taken all his coalition partners and the President into confidence about the reinstatement of the deposed chief justice once the current chief justice retires on March 21.
The deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will assume charges on March 21.
Benazir Bhutto wanted free judiciary and supremacy of the constitution.
I order all the provincial government to abolish Section 144 at once.
After consultations with all political forces of the country and President Asif Ali Zardari, we have decided to restore all deposed judges including Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as Chief Justice of Pakistan who will assume charge on March 21. The current Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar retires on March 21. I urge all the political forces and lawyers to work for the solidarity and welfare of the country.
Pakistan Paindabad.
Just over two years after he was first unceremoniously removed by Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf, and having once been restored by the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has now been ‘restored’ yet again as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The road from there has been tumultuous. The movement that gathered around him was always bigger than the CJ and it was bigger than those around him. The vindication today is not simply of Chief Justice Chaudhry, it is a vindication of Pakistan’s civil society.
ATP has covered the ups and down of this story. For some reason one has a sense that this story is not over yet. We have celebrated a reinstatement once before too. And from the PM’s speech it is not clear at all what the terms of the decision really are. But right now one wishes simply to bask in the joyousness of the moment, in the vindication of justice, in the goodness of the news. There is much analysis that is needed, but let us leave that for just a little later.
Thank God it all ended well and peacefully. Great victory for People of Pakistan :-). But now greater responsibility is on the shoulders of CJ and lawyers to restore judiciary’s credibility which has been severely damaged and ensure the access of justice to common man.
I think the next Nobel Peace Prize should be given to Lawyers Movement in Pakistan and Chief Justice of Pakistan. They have really given us hope. Lets make our case heard :)
ATP Friends,
Its not dharna time its BHANGRA TIME Let us smile today, hug your loved ones as this is a victory for Pakistan and Adil note a victory for PAKISTANIAT.
We are witnessing the dawn of a new Pakistan, let us celebrate together as we have had too many bad days, too many tragedies. Let us stand tall again as one and rise to our challenges as one, let us build a new Pakistan as one. See Other Pakistan to help achieve this dream:
http://blog.otherpakistan.org/
Wasim
Joyous newsc indeed Adil bhai. I am so ecstatic, Im over the moon that the Chief Justice is restored, see post below:
http://blog.otherpakistan.org/
Feimanallah Pakistan
Wasim
Can we now focus on petty issues like the economy, education, security and health care?
I quite agree with A.H. Cemendtaur. After the jubilation is over and the term of office sets in, let us see whether those countless poor people who suffered from lock outs and processions would truely get justice?
Or their life continues to be the same that of oppression in the hands of big ones, duly protected by law and the same lawyers who came out on the streets for the restoration of one man and independence of judiciary?
Let us wait and see that instead of personal vindictivism and settling of old scores, the new era speaks of true justice and hope for the poor and the middle class which continues live in misery despite so many sue motos.
Smile O poor people of Pakistan as another era is about to usher (smile for how long?? – that is the question).