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Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

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Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
افتخار محمد چودھری File:Chaudhry0508.jpg
20th Chief Justice of Pakistan
In office
30 June 2005 – Present
Preceded byNazim Hussain Siddiqui
Succeeded byAbdul Hameed Dogar De Facto
Personal details
Born (1948-12-12) 12 December 1948 (age 75)
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
NationalityPakistan Pakistani

Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry (Urdu: افتخار محمد چودھری) (born 12 December 1948), is the de jure Chief Justice of Pakistan. He was appointed Chief Justice by Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on May 7, 2005.[1] He was suspended by President General Musharraf on March 9, 2007, but was reinstated by order of the Supreme Court on July 20, 2007.[2]

On November 3, 2007, Chief of the Army Staff General Musharraf suspended the constitution and declared a state of emergency.[3] Justice Iftikhar reacted promptly, convening a seven-member bench which issued at interim order against this action.[4] He also ordered the armed forces of Pakistan not to obey any illegal orders.

Subsequently, 111th brigade of the Pakistan army entered the supreme court building and removed Chaudhry and several other honourable judges from the supreme court.[5]


Activities after arrest

He is under strict house arrest and no one has met him officially after he was arrested on the 6th of november 2007. However he has continued to denounce Musharraf's declaration of emergency and vowed to push for a return to the rule of law.[6] .

On November 6 Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry spoke by phone to a group of 500 lawyers[1]. In his statement he said that the constitution had been "ripped to shreds" and that the people should "rise up and restore" it. He added that while he is under guard, he will soon "join you in your struggle Masses,civil society and political parties have rallied around him once again since then[2].

On November 7 his guards were arrested and "removed" after they refused to handover the security to the guards loyal to Musharraf.[3]

On 15th of november Chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ordered the Islamabad Inspector General of Police to take action against his and his family’s house arrest and their possible shifting to Quetta, reported Geo News. According to the channel, Chaudhry, in his orders, held the interior secretary, the commissioner, the deputy commissioner and the assistant commissioner responsible for his house arrest. He said he was still the chief justice of Pakistan and the official residence was his by right.[4]

On November 18th In his letter to a prominent english newspaper The News he wrote: "I will fight till the last drop of my blood to save the Constitution of Pakistan and so will resist any move to ‘deport’ me to some far-flung area with the intention to separate me from the lawyers and the Pakistani citizens"[5].

On 21st November the law enforcement agencies stopped the deposed Judges including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry from coming out of their houses in Judges Colony. On the other hand, Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad, accompanied by a large number of lawyers, also came to the Judges Colony to meet the deposed Judges, however, he, too, was not allowed to proceed further to the residences of these Judges.

Along with the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, next to him as per the seniority Justice Rana Bhagwandas also tried to come out of his house but the law enforcement agencies personnel, deputed at their gates, did now allow them to come out saying, “They have not orders from high-ups"[6].


On 24th November members of the delegation visiting Munir A.Malik in Pakistan institute of medical sciences conveyed greetings and inquired about his health on behalf of deposed CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.[7]

Career in Law

Chaudhry Iftikhar has a Bachelors in Arts and Bachelors in Law (LLB). He joined the bar in 1974. Later, he was enrolled as Advocate of the High Court in 1976 and as an Advocate of the Supreme Court in 1985. In 1989 he was appointed as Advocate General, Balochistan, and later got elevated as Additional Judge, Balochistan High Court in 6 November,1990 until 21 April, 1999.[7]

Besides remaining as Judge High Court, he discharged duties as Banking Judge, Judge Special Court for Speedy Trials, Judge Customs Appellate Courts as well as Company Judge. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry also remained President of High Court Bar Association, Quetta, and was elected twice as Member, Bar Council. Later, he was appointed as Chairman, Balochistan Local Council Election Authority in 1992 and thereafter for second term in 1998. He also worked as Chairman, Provincial Review Board for the province of Balochistan. He was twice appointed as Chairman, Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Balochistan.

At present, Justice Iftikhar is also functioning as Chairman, Enrollment Committee of Pakistan Bar Council and as Chairman, Supreme Court Building Committee. He was appointed as Chief Justice High Court of Balochistan on 22 April,1999.[7]

In January 2000 Chief Executive General Musharraf dictated that all superior court judges swear a new oath under the PCO No.1 issued on October 15, 1999, which had suspended the Constitution of Pakistan. After swearing an oath on the PCO Justice Iftikhar was elevated to the Supreme Court on 4 February, 2000. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Pakistan on 7 May,2005 by President General Pervez Musharraf.[8] Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the senior-most judge among the sitting judges of the Court after the outgoing Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry assumed the office of Chief Justice on 30 June,2005.[7]

Important rulings

Pakistan Steel Mills Privatization

Main article: Pakistan Steel Mills

In 2007, the Supreme court ruled against the government, saying that the selling of Pakistan Steel Mills to a group including Arif Habib, former client and friend of PM Shaukat Aziz, was done in "indecent haste".

File:Pakistan-CJ.jpg
President Pervez Musharraf administers the oath of the office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in 2005.

Hasba Bill case

Main article: Hasba bill

The Hasba bill also proposed powers for the police to ensure observance of Islamic practices and values while curbing palm reading and other superstitious customs deemed un-Islamic by the legislators.

General Pervez Musharraf petitioned the top court for an opinion after the Hasba bill was passed through North West Frontier Province's assembly.

"The governor of the province of NWFP may not assent to the Hasba bill in its present form," Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, head of a panel of nine judges, told the court before listing several clauses in the bill deemed unconstitutional.

Missing people

Many people in Pakistan had "disappeared." allegedly kidnapped by the American agencies (FBI, CIA) and Pakistani agencies (ISI, MI, IB) in pursuance of the "War on Terror." These actions were challenged in the Supreme Court and a bench under the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had directed the Ministry of Interior and the representatives of the military agencies to appear in the court and answer the issues raised.

The case is being heard by Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim and Asma Jahangir from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.[citation needed]

Cases for 2007

It is thought that some very important cases were to be heard in the supreme court in the coming months. Decisions have already been taken in some:

  • The case whether Nawaz Sharif (twice the former PM of Pakistan) can come back to Pakistan. Government had always said that he can but now does not want him to come back. — Decision: Sharif can come back.[9]

Upcoming cases include:

  • The case inquiring the dual nationality of the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his eligibility to be Prime Minister.
  • The case on whether or not the President Pervez Musharraf could run the election for the next Presidency term.
  • The Uniform Issue of President Pervez Musharraf, i.e. whether the President may continue in office without relinquishing his role as the head of the military.
  • Inquest into the validity of the decrees issued by madrassas.

Suspension and reinstatement

File:Iftikhar chaudhry agencies.jpg
Two secret agents try to force the chief justice to sit in the car. One agent grasps the Chief Justice by the hair.
Main article: Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry (suspension)

On March 09, 2007, Chaudhry was suspended by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf also filed a "reference" (i.e., legal case) against Chaudhry for alleged misconduct, such as an allegation that Chaudhry demanded an ostentatious Mercedes-Benz for his official car. [10]

The suspension of Chaudhry was the first time in the 50-year history of the Pakistani Supreme Court that a Chief Justice was suspended. The court under Chief Justice Chaudhry had made rulings against governmental corruption, including the Pakistan Steel Mills case.

After the event, there was unrest in the country with regard to the validity of the allegations against Chaudhry, as well as doubt as to whether Musharraf actually had the power to suspend the Chief Justice under the circumstances.[11]

On May 5, 2007, Chaudhry traveled from Islamabad to Lahore to address the Lahore High Court Bar Association. Demonstrations of support along the route slowed his motorcade to the point that it took him 25 hours to reach the dinner the Association was holding in his honor.[12] This journey usually takes 4-5 hours on average.[citation needed] Demonstrators chanted not only slogans supporting Chaudrhy, but also openly called for Musharraf to step down(Go Musharraf Go).In his speech he criticised dictatorship and emphasized on the important of the rule of law.[12] [[8]]

File:Pakpublicrally.jpg
Public supporting Chief Justice in capital city of Islamabad.

On July 20, 2007, Chaudhry was reinstated to his position as Chief Justice in a ruling by the thirteen-member Pakistani Supreme Court which also quashed the misconduct reference filed against him by Musharraf.[10] The ruling combined 25 constitutional petitions filed by Chaudhry and other interested parties, but referred most of the issues raised by the 24 petitions not filed by Chaudhry himself to lower courts for extended adjudication. All thirteen of the sitting justices agreed that Musharraf's action had been illegal, and ten of the thirteen ordered Chaudhry was to be reinstated and that he "shall be deemed to be holding the said office and shall always be deemed to have been so holding the same." [13]

Cases post-reinstatement

On August 20 2007 Ifikhar Mohammad threatened Tariq Pervez (the director-general of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency) with jail if he did not produce ghost detainee Hafiz Abdul Basit.[14] Chief Justice Chaudhry ordered "He must be produced today or you will be sent to the lock-up."[14]

2007 State of Emergency

Main article: 2007 Pakistani state of emergency

General Pervez Musharraf, who holds the office of the President and Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, on Saturday Nov 3rd 2007 declared a state of emergency and suspended the nation's constitution and parliament at the same time.[15]. According to the the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan the President of Pakistan can impose a state of emergency in the country, if he believe that circumstances exist that warrant it and has to get it validated from a sitting Parliament within 30 days[16]. However the proclamation of state of emergency was announced, according to the proclamation, by him as the chief of army staff and not the President of Pakistan and as per legal scholars this is tantamount to martial law, as there is no provision present in the Constitution of Pakistan for an Army General to declare a state of emergency.

Further according to the constitution the state of emergency only suspends certain fundamental rights of citizens and all other structures and functions of the state remain functioning as normal under the constitution, but through this proclamation the government has suspended the constitution itself and issued a provisional constitution order (PCO) in its place, this action is not allowed by any provision of the constitution and is thus tantamount to martial law.

After the imposition of emergency and suspension of constitution, Chaudhry constituted an 8 member bench of supreme court judges duly headed by himself, and immediately quashed the provisional constitution order, declaration of emergency and the suspension of the constitution, and ordered all civil and military personnel to ignore the order. He also ordered all the chief justices of high courts and judges of supreme court and high court not to take oath under the PCO. Soon after, the supreme court was stormed by the 111th brigade of the Pakistan Army and chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudary along with seven other judges of the of the Pakistan supreme court were removed from office and kept under house arrest. Musharraf replaced Justice Iftikhar Chaudry with Abdul Hameed Dogar as the de facto chief justice of Pakistan and also administered the oath of office to three other judges of the supreme court under the PCO.

HLS Medal of Freedom

As lawyers who value freedom and the rule of law, we at Harvard Law School want Chief Justice Chaudhry and all of the courageous lawyers in Pakistan to know that we stand with them in solidarity. We are proud to be their colleagues in the cause of justice, and we will do all we can to press for the prompt restoration of constitutionalism and legality in Pakistan.

— Elena Kagan, Harvard Law School's Dean, on the Justice Iftikhar's awarding.[17]

In the wake of the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan, on November 14, 2007, the Harvard Law School Association[18] decided to award its highest honour, the Medal of Freedom to Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, following the military crackdown the previous week. He becomes the first Pakistani to be presented with such honour.

Harvard Law School Medal of Freedom is given to selected personalities for their contributions to freedom, justice, and equality. Former South African President Nelson Mandela is one of the previous recipients of this award.

Though Iftikhar Chaudhry is currently under house-arrest, the school plans to hold a grand ceremony to award the medal hoping that it recipient will soon be released and allowed to attend. According to the offical statement:

Although Mr Chaudhry has been placed under house arrest and is not free to leave Pakistan.

The same statement announcing the award, identifies Chaudhry as Pakistan’s chief justice and not as a deposed or former judge.[19] [9]


The Lawyer of the Year Award

The National Law Journal picked Mr. Chaudhry as the lawyer of the year for 2007, the only non-american in the history of the Journal. The official line of the US government may be muted critique of the dictator but the human heart decries for the innocent and pallbearer of justice. Mr. Chaudhry, hailed by masses in his country, stands tall by his denunciation of mockery of justice and deviation from rule of the law. On December 15, 2007 'emergency' was lifted and Musharraf's crafted lawyers reinstated an amended Constitution which has been cut out to fit for the dictator. Musharraf made it clear that reanactment of the Constitution does not mean renistatements of Justices including Mr Chaudhry. To Mr. Chaudhry and rest of the world this step also remains unconstitutional, a duly elected Parliament can only alter the manuscript of the constitution with a two-third majority. The act of 'emergency' has done nothing but purged judiciary of dissenting justices and instalment of Musharraf friendly supreme court. The dejure Chief Justice is correct that the Constitution of Pakistan is in shreds and has been mutilated with despotism being the order of the day or days to come. The upcoming elections are feared by the independent media to be rigged, that will leave anti-Musharraf parties less than 2/3rd majority and recent unconstitutional changes unalterable.

References

  1. ^ "Chaudhry Iftikhar named new CJ". May 7, 2005.
  2. ^ "Pakistani court reinstates top judge". July 20, 2007.
  3. ^ "Musharraf Suspends Pakistan's Constitution". November 4, 2007.
  4. ^ "Justice Iftikhar declared proclaimanation of emegency,suspension of constitution and provisional constitution order illegeal, PCO". November 4, 2007.
  5. ^ "Emergency in Pakistan - Custody for Chief Justice and 7 other judges of Supreme Court". November 3, 2007.
  6. ^ "Iftikhar Chaudhry vows fresh struggle against Musharraf". November 5, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c Supreme Court of Pakistan Official Website
  8. ^ "Chaudhry Iftikhar named new CJ". May 7, 2005.
  9. ^ http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C08%5C29%5Cstory_29-8-2007_pg7_16
  10. ^ a b Musharraf Loses Fight Over Judge, July 21, 2007, New York Times. Accessed via paid archive August 27, 2007.]
  11. ^ "Suspended Pak CJ arrives in Karachi amid violence and tight security". Daily India. May 12, 2007.
  12. ^ a b States cannot survive under dictatorship: CJ, May 7, 2007. DAWN Newspaper. Accessed August 27, 2007.
  13. ^ Short Order Press Release July 20, 2007, Supreme Court of Pakistan. Accessed August 27, 2007.
  14. ^ a b Syed Shoaib Hasan (Monday, August 20, 2007). "Security chief gets jail warning". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-08-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Text of Pakistan emergency declaration". November 03, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Section of Constitution on Emergency Provisions".
  17. ^ [[http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2007/11/13_pakistan.php%7Ctitle=HLS News: Pakistani chief justice to recievce Harvard Law School 'Medal of Honour'
  18. ^ "HLS News: Pakistani chief justice to recievce Harvard Law School 'Medal of Honour'". November 14, 2007.
  19. ^ "Dawn: Harvard to award Medal of Freedom to Justice Iftikhar". November 15, 2007.

See also

Preceded by
Nazim Hussain Siddiqui 		Chief Justices of Pakistan Succeeded by
Abdul Hameed Dogar(de facto)

Template:Chief Justice of Pakistan

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