PHC deposed CJ reappointment blow to lawyers

LAHORE/PESHAWAR - Reappointment of sacked Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Tariq Pervez, a staunch supporter of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and lawyers movement, is a big blow to the lawyers struggle to reinstate deposed judges particularly Iftikhar Chaudhry on their original positions.
Justice Pervez was standing firm until Thursday and had categorically said that he was not ready to accept any offer of fresh oath.
The news of Tariq Pervez, one of the committed comrades of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, taking fresh oath on Friday (today) landed as a bomb shell on the legal fraternity, especially for lawyers leadership already finding hard to hold the defections from their ranks.
With the re-appointment of Chief Justice Pervez alongwith three other deposed judges of PHC, the number of deposed judges yet to take oath or be reinstated has further reduced to 23 from 43 as the deposed judges started accepting the offer of the present government.
It is to be noted that 43 judges of Supreme Court and three high courts, excluding Balochistan High Court (where all five had taken oath under PCO) had refused to take oath under PCO and left their respective offices.
However, since November 3 one deposed judge of SC, two of Sindh High Court and one of Lahore High Court retired on attaining the age of superannuation. While the eight judges of SHC and four of LHC had accepted their reappointment last week.
Justice Pervez as a sitting CJ, alongwith his fellow judges had warmly received Justice Iftikhar Muhammad when he had visited Peshawar High Court Bar Association last year in April after his sacking by Pervez Musharraf.
Four PHC judges had refused to take fresh oath under Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) after the imposition of emergency by Pervez Musharraf on November 3. These judges include Justice Tariq Pervez, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, Justice Shah Jehan Khan and Justice Aijaz Afzal.