'Zardari's advisors should be sacked'

ISLAMABAD The Executive-Judiciary stalemate on the appointment of two LHC judges, including Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif, that seems to have come to an end on Wednesday has yet to remove concerns of the indefatigable lawyers community. The tension has not yet come to an end completely with the announcement of the Prime Minister to appoint two judges of the LHC to the Supreme Court as well Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramdays appointment as an ad hoc judge of the apex court for one year, according to sources in the lawyers community. Building up confrontation between the two top institutions was due to the legal advisors of President Asif Ali Zardari, who led the President to violate Article 177 of the Constitution in issuing notices of judges appointment, the legal source said. The legal advisors of Asif Ali Zardari must be sacked as they have always misguided their boss on legal matters, they contented. While, talking to TheNation, top constitutional expert Barrister Akram Sheikh said the judiciary has won the first round of the game being played for the supremacy of law and justice. Judiciary won; Executive lost, Sheikh, said when this reporter asked, Who has lost and who has won in this confrontation? However, senior lawyer, Ikram Chaudhry did not agree with Akram Sheikhs statement, and called the Prime Ministers announcement regarding judges another political victory of President Asif Ali Zardari. Chief Justice should not call on the Prime Minister at his office. Our code of conduct does not allow the sitting judges to meet the Executives head especially when the matter of judges appointment has already been pending in the apex court, Chaudhry maintained. Justice (Retd) Nasira Iqbal, who is also President of Lahore High Court, said the government decision of withdrawing notices regarding judges appointment was a victory for the whole nation especially for the judiciary. It is a good omen for us as the Executive has decided to accommodate the judges in superior judiciary on the recommendations of Chief Justice of Pakistan, she said. Former Federal Law Minister, Dr Khalid Ranjha said, Chief Justice should not meet the Prime Minister as it was written in Article 209 (8) that judges can not meet any political personality. Although the decision of Prime Minister will pour water on troubled issues of the constitution, however he added the meeting of both heads of the institutions raised various questions on judiciarys credibility, the noted lawyer said. Barrister Ahmad Raza Qasuri was of the view that it was the victory of the Constitution. Nobody has won and no has lost the game, he explained. However, he said, the legal advisors sitting in the Presidency must be sacked, who led the country towards another judicial crisis. He also pointed out the code of conduct, which was being violated by the judicial authorities nowadays. But other lawyers did not agree with his viewpoint.

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