Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhry refused to resign and has decided to defend himself before a panel of top judges that is meeting here next week to hear his case.
ISLAMABAD: Sacked Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhry has refused to submit his resignation and decided to defend himself before a panel of top judges that is meeting here next week to hear his case.
“I will never resign voluntarily. I have done nothing wrong,” Chaudhry responded when he was contacted on phone by President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Munir A Malik on Saturday
The Supreme Judicial Council will meet here on March 13 to hear allegations levelled against Chaudhry, even as the government warned lawyers of severe action if they laid siege to the meeting. Chaudhry also told Malik that he would contest the charges of corruption and misuse of authority levelled by President Pervez Musharraf who removed him from his post on March 9.
Mallik contacted Chaudhry over phone as the media and the lawyers were prevented from meeting him at his official residence here which was surrounded by a huge posse of police personnel. Mallik offered him the support of the legal fraternity including the SCBA. Malik told reporters it appeared that the suspended Chief Justice was not a free man and was being pressurised to resign.
The Pakistan Bar Council on Sunday described the action to prevent the public from meeting Chaudhry as a case of “illegal house arrest”. “He is in illegal detention,” Vice-chairman of the PBC Ali Ahmed Kurd said.
Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao has warned the lawyers of severe action if they carried out their threat to lay a siege to SJC meeting. The SCBA which has called a strike from tomorrow said its members would also lay a siege to the SJC meeting.
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