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Pakistan lawyers, supporters welcome Chaudhry reinstatement

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Members of the Pakistan lawyers' movement on Monday welcomed the reinstatement of Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, hailing the move as a major victory. Lawyers' movement supporters rallied at Chaudhry's home Monday, where the Chief Justice thanked the crowds for their support in the fight for reinstatement. Ali Ahmad Kurd, the president of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) commented favorably on the restoration, calling it a success for the country. Lawyers' movement leader Aitzaz Ahsan celebrated the reinstatement, and called for Chaudhry's judicial neutrality upon his return to the bench. The decision to reinstate Chaudry was also met with relief and positive statements from the European Union, the UK, and the Association of Pakistani Lawyers, a UK lawyers' group. A number of individual supporters of the lawyers' movement expressed their gratitude for Chaudhry's reinstatement, hailing it as a positive step for democratic rule in Pakistan. Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced early Monday that the government will reinstate Chaudhry in response to recent protests by members of the lawyers' movement and opposition politicians and supporters. Gilani also ordered government officials to release anyone arrested during the past week's so-called "long march", which began Thursday. Reports first surfaced late Sunday that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had agreed to reinstate Chaudhry and other judges ousted by Zardari's predecessor Pervez Musharraf in November 2007 after his declaration of emergency rule. Fomer prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have actively campaigned for Chaudhry's reinstatement, leading a similar "long march" last summer. Chaudhry has always maintained that he is still chief justice under the Pakistani constitution.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 17, 2009 (boomark / email).