Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Saturday denied government charges that he has politicised the issue of Presidential reference. The chief justice filed a rejoinder in the Supreme Court in response to the objections raised by the President to his constitutional petition, saying he has not led any political rallies nor delivered any political speech.
He said he has not met any politician and nor sought any political support from any one. He said he has led no political rally or made any political speech. He has not met any politician nor solicited any political support. While there is no bar on meeting any citizen of Pakistan, the petitioner has only shown the courtesy of meeting such people as have themselves come to his residence to meet him. Otherwise he has acted with complete judicial restraint even in such trying times and during such a public outcry and upheaval.
The rejoinder of the chief justice said: "How could the President, or his counsel, be sure that these is no interests and bias?" "The malice is practically admitted when it is asserted that the allegations of cutting of phones, removal of vehicles and manhandling are made out of context. In which context would such actions be legitimate?"
The chief justice said: "The statement of chief ministers are on the record and have not been denied by them. They are deploying state resources besides the respondents themselves."
Justice Iftikhar said: "The unholy haste is established by the fact that the two learned judges rushed to make and administer the oath without even reaching out to the Chief Justice to find out whether he had resigned, asked for leave, or become incapacitated to provide justification for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice. Was this reasonable in the circumstances?"
He sai: "The restraint on the CJP, the forced leave, consequent induction of the ACJ, all offend the independence of the judiciary enshrined in several landmark judgements as well as the proceedings in camera are illegal. Hence too the Constitution, the composition and the proceedings before the SJC."
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