ISLAMABAD, 29 May 2007 — Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz yesterday warned against criticism of the army and said the Supreme Court should take action against the lawyers who criticized the armed forces at a seminar addressed by suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
Prime Minister Aziz said the court should “think about taking action” after a string of lawyers at the seminar attended by Chaudhry on Saturday called on Musharraf to quit as army chief.
Chaudhry — whose suspension by Musharraf in March has triggered an intense political crisis — stopped short of naming the president but warned that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” “It does not suit any Pakistani to speak against the armed forces because it affects our defense, integrity and prestige. We strongly condemn it,” Aziz told reporters. He said the top court had issued instructions to the Supreme Court Bar Association, which organized the seminar, that no political issue would be raised. But speakers flouted that directive.
The armed forces had always helped Pakistan in times of need and the lawyers’ remarks against them “have hurt the sentiments of all Pakistanis,” the premier added. “The judiciary should now think about taking action on this.”
Supreme Court Verdict Today
The full bench of the Supreme Court comprising 13 judges will announce its verdict on the maintainability of Iftikhar Chaudhry’s petition.
Justice Khalilur Rahman Ramdey, heading the bench, said after hearing arguments from the two sides that the verdict will be announced today. He observed, “We will decide the case without considering what repercussions the verdict will have on the country’s judicial system.”
