Government lawyers cited a 1988 judicial crisis in Malaysia, during which its chief justice was brought before a tribunal convened by the then PM.
ISLAMABAD: A judge hearing a petition by Pakistan’s chief justice against his suspension on Monday told a government lawyer not to “scare” him by referring to a similar crisis nearly 20 years ago in Malaysia.
Government lawyers have cited a 1988 judicial crisis in Malaysia, during which its chief justice was brought before a tribunal convened by the then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on grounds of misconduct. Mahathir suspended five Supreme Court judges after they stayed proceedings against the chief justice, although he was later removed by the tribunal while two judges were fired by the premier.
“Please don’t scare us by citing the Malaysian case,” the presiding Pakistani judge hearing the case, Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, said when government lawyer Malik Muhammad Qayyum raised the matter. There was muffled laughter in the packed courtroom when Ramday said: “We want to forget the Malaysian case as a bad dream.” Chaudhry’s lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan said the decision and Mahathir’s treatment of the judges received “worldwide condemnation.” Chief government lawyer Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada also cited the Malaysian chief justice’s case last week.
President Pervez Musharraf removed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9 citing misconduct, sparking violent protests and a spiralling political crisis.
The Supreme Court is hearing an appeal by Chaudhry against his suspension. The Supreme Court on May 7 suspended the Supreme Judicial Council’s inquiry after Chaudhry filed a petition challenging the legality of his dismissal.
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