ISLAMABAD, 14 June 2007 — The full bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Khalilur Rahman Ramday, yesterday ordered authorities to produce the record of the Supreme Judicial Council concerning the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on March 9.
Chaudhry’s lead lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan told the court that when Chaudhry was sent a notice from the Supreme Judicial Council on March 10, he had no access to his lawyers.
Ahsan requested the court to examine the record. The court then ordered that the SJC record be presented before it.
Ahsan also said security officials manhandled Chaudhry and dragged him by the hair. The alleged incident happened as Chaudhry was going to attend the first legal hearing into misconduct charges laid against him by Musharraf.
Ahsan accused security agents of manhandling the judge when he attempted to walk from his residence to the Supreme Court instead of taking a car on March 13. “They grabbed him by the hair,” Ahsan said, showing the court photographs that were taken on the day.
“If you look at one of the photographs, it looks as if his head is going under the guillotine,” he added.
Ahsan said that security officials also detained Chaudhry at his house for more than five days and disconnected his telephones and Internet connection, but “no action was taken” against them.
Earlier yesterday, a government lawyer sparked an uproar in the courtroom when he accused the chief justice’s legal team of being funded by “foreign powers.”
Ahmad Raza Kasuri later withdrew the allegation after Chaudhry’s attorneys complained to the court and his fellow government lawyers distanced themselves from his remarks.
“These remarks were certainly uncalled for as your colleagues have not even supported you,” Ramday told Kasuri.
The Supreme Court Monday agreed to formally begin hearing Chaudhry’s petition against the government charges after a month of legal arguments.
Critics say Chaudhry was an obstacle to Musharraf’s aim to get re-elected as president-in-uniform by the outgoing Parliament. The government says Chaudhry abused his position to get top jobs for his son and obtain the use of official vehicles, as well as spying on other judges.
