Sun Mar 15, 2009 by Anil Kalhan
SAJAforum: BREAKING NEWS – Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Reportedly to Be Restored as Chief Justice of Pakistan
Via Reuters (and Sadia Abbas), some breaking news from Pakistan:
The Pakistan government agreed on Monday to reinstate Iftikhar Chaudhry as Supreme Court chief justice to end a political crisis that has gripped the Muslim nation, a government official said.
The official added that a constitutional package would also be presented.
President Asif Ali Zardari had hitherto stonewalled calls from the opposition led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and a lawyers’ movement to restore the judge.
Chaudhry was dismissed in late 2007 by then-president and army chief
Pervez Musharraf, but Zardari regarded the judge as too politicized and
feared he could pose a threat to his own presidency if restored. [link]
No solid confirmation as yet, but Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is scheduled to address the nation shortly.