Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Friday announced to accompany Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry from his residence to Supreme Court on March 24 - the day Justice Chaudhry will resume his office. The notification for reinstatement of Justice Chaudhry issued by the Law and Justice Division on March 17 says Chaudhry will resume his office on March 22 on the retirement of incumbent chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, who will be retiring today (March 21).
However, due to official holiday on March 22 and 23, Justice Chaudhry will formally resume his office on March 24. According to schedule announced by the SCBA, Justice Chaudhry will reach the Supreme Court on March 24. The SCBA announced on Friday that its executive committee and other lawyers will go to the residence of Justice Chaudhry on March 24 to accompany him to the Supreme Court, where he will attend his office after restoration.
Earlier, talking to journalists outside the residence of Justice Chaudhry, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said Ms Naheed Khan, political secretary to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, will hoist the national flag on the residence of restored CJP on March 22 to fulfil the promise of Shaheed Mohtarma Bhutto.
"To hoist the national flag on the residence of Justice Chaudhry was the dream of our Shaheed leader Mohtarma Bhutto, thus Ms Naheed Khan, Senator Safdar Abbasi and Shehryar Awan - son of lawyers leader late Imdad Awan, who were the close associates of Mohtarma Bhutto, will materialise her dream by hoisting national flag on the residence of restored CJP on Sunday," Aitzaz said.
Other political parties, he said have also been invited to attend the flag hoisting ceremony. "Although majority of PPP leaders have been opposing the restoration of Justice Chaudhry over a year, however no one would speak against such persons in the ceremony," Aitzaz added.
To a question, he said he has replied to the notice issued to him by his party (PPP), adding that PPP Secretary General Jehangir Badr had no authority to suspend his membership.
He said the refusal of Sharif brothers to appear before the judges who had taken oath under the November 3, 2007 Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) was just. But now, he said when Justice Dogar was no more the CJP from Sunday, Sharif brothers should review their earlier decision of not appearing before the courts.
Meanwhile, noted personalities visited the residence of Justice Chaudhry and greeted him on his restoration. Among others, Australian High Commissioner to Islamabad - Zorica McCarthy, recently restored Supreme Court judges that include Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Tassadaq Hussain Jilani, Federal Law Secretary Agha Muhammad Rafique and Senator Safdar Abbasi also visited Justice Chaudhry and greeted him on his restoration.