The Attorney General of Pakistan Malik Abdul Qayyum has said that Benazir Bhutto's return and her activities are under an understanding with the government. In an exclusive interview with British ITN Channel 4, the Attorney General that it will be judged if Benazhir Bhutto will honour her commitments she has made the government.
He said that the Supreme Court had crossed its limits of powers and started a new series of taking suo motu actions to fix prices and to control traffic. He said that apex court had also started arresting police officers to paralyse the system. He said these acts exacerbated the situation so much that emergency had to be imposed as a last resort.
He dispelled the impression that the government is facing difficulties in appointing judges adding that a number of lawyers have lodged their applications with him that they want to serve as judges of the apex court with his reference.
He claimed that a large number of counsels are standing in queue, who want to become judges and the government would complete the require number of judges for the Supreme Court and High Courts.
He said that three more judges would be inducted in the apex court till Tuesday due to which the required number of judges in a bench would be completed for the hearing of the case of eligibility of the President Musharraf for the office of the president of Pakistan.
He rebutted that deposed chief justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has been detained added, if he wants to meet him, he can meet. He said, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry can use the official residence for one month as per the rules and after expiry of this period, he has to vacate it.
He said, there is no such restriction on the other judges of the apex court and four judges have proceeded to their hometowns from Islamabad.
He said that the step of imposition of emergency had become unavoidable in order to stop the rising terrorist acts. So, emergency has been proclaimed in compulsion. He said, after the imposition of emergency, the situation of law and order is normalising day by day and if the improvement continues, the state of emergency would be lifted within one month.
He said that more measures would be taken for controlling the situation in Swat.
When his attention was drawn towards a recent rise in suicide attacks, he did not see eye to eye with it and insisted that the law and order situation has been considerably improved.
He defended the law under which the bar councils are not empowered to cancel the membership of lawyers. Rather, these powers have been granted to the courts.
He blamed the lawyers community to cross their limits on some occasions. Therefore, the government had to take action against them on violation of laws.
He regretted some lawyers take interest in politics instead of their profession however; he said that few lawyers are protesting.
Defending an amendment in the Army Act, he said that the saboteurs who carry out attack on the security forces must be punished under military system. Responding to a question about the National Reconciliation Ordinance, the Attorney General said that Benazir Bhutto have been provided a number of facilities under this law.