Lawyers' Body demands Justice Das' resignation

ISLAMABAD: Demanding the resignation of Pakistan's Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Rana Bhagwan Das, a lawyers body has claimed that he cannot hold the post as suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry still held the country's top judicial position.

Justice Das' continuation amounts to a violation of the constitution as Justice Chaudhry continues to be the Chief Justice, a resolution passed by a Punjab Bar Council convention in Lahore said on Saturday.

The resolution also demanded the trial of General Pervez Musharraf under Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution for 'unconstitutionally' holding the office of the President in military uniform.

"A national government should be formed and elections be held by an independent election commissioner to let the actual representatives of the people come to power," it said.

The resolution came as a three judge bench of the Supreme Court takes up two petitions on Monday which challenge the appointement of a non-Muslim (Justice Das) as the ACJ and the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Justice Javed Iqbal who sworn in Justice Das as ACJ has clarified that constitutionally there was no bar on a non-Muslim to hold the post.