W O R L D

LAWYERS CELEBRATE RETURN
OF JUDGES
Islamabad, March 16
Hundreds of jubilant supporters greeted deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry here today as he made his first public appearance after the government pledged to reinstate him in a move that blew over the crisis in Pakistan and brought a festive mood on the streets.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif celebrates along with lawyers and PML-N supporters in Gujranwala on Monday. (Right) Lawyers rejoice in Islamabad. — Reuters/AP/PTI

• US welcomes govt's move

Man of the moment
Islamabad, March 16
The son of a policeman, Chaudhry, 60, became a Supreme Court judge in 2000 and was appointed the youngest ever chief justice in June 2005. He became a symbol of resistance to General Pervez Musharraf after refusing to quit in the face of pressure from the then President and his intelligence chiefs. Musharraf suspended Chaudhry on March 9, 2007.

10 killed in Rawalpindi blast
Islamabad, March 16
At least 10 persons were killed and 20 injured in a suicide attack in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi today. The blast occurred in a crowded bus at Pir Wadhai Chowk in Rawalpindi. Witnesses said at least 10 persons were killed in the attack.

Mourners stand in front of flowers and candles in Winnenden, south Germany on Sunday. A 17-year-old gunman and former pupil of Albertville High School killed 15 people before he turned the gun on himself on Wednesday. — AP/PTI

Koirala: No India help to oust Maoists
Kathmandu, March 16
Nepalese opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala has asked Prime Minister Prachanda to run the government with consensus of all the stakeholders and said his talks with Indian leaders revolved around this and dismissed reports that he has sought New Delhi’s help to oust the Maoists-led ministry.

Pak’s Mukhtar Mai marries
ISLAMABAD: Mukhtar Mai, who waged a heroic campaign for women’s rights here, after becoming the victim of a gang-rape sanctioned by a village council, has married a police constable. Mai, 43, married Nasir Abbas in a simple ceremony in Muzaffargarh district on Sunday. It was the second marriage for Abbas, who has five children from his first wife. Mai’s father, Ghulam Farid Gujjar has confirmed her nikaah and said that it was an arranged marriage. — PTI

Beware of J&J baby shampoo!
London: Popular bath products for kids contain cancer-causing chemicals, says a new study. According to a research carried out in the United States, many of the top-selling brands contain formaldehyde, which is used to embalm corpses. Out of the 28 products tested for formaldehyde in an independent laboratory, 23 contained it, reports Sky News. — ANI

 

LAWYERS CELEBRATE RETURN OF JUDGES

Islamabad, March 16
Hundreds of jubilant supporters greeted deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry here today as he made his first public appearance after the government pledged to reinstate him in a move that blew over the crisis in Pakistan and brought a festive mood on the streets.

Lawyers, civil society activists and political workers celebrated across Pakistan, weeping with joy, dancing to drumbeats and flashing victory signs. Supporters showered Chaudhry and opposition leader Nawaj Sharif with rose petals as they gathered in large numbers outside their residences.

A beaming Chaudhry, attired in a black suit, waved to the hundreds of people who thronged his house at the Judges Colony here to congratulate him, but did not give any speech. The security in the area was tightened soon after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's announcement of restoring sacked judges.

Chaudhry will assume office on March 21. He offered special prayers of thanks on hearing the news. Wild scenes of jubilation were also witnessed in Gujranwala where Sharif announced suspension of his agitation.

As Sharif's motorcade left for his hometown Lahore, it was stranded in a sea of well-wishers, who showered the car with flowers and tried to get a glimpse of their leader. The tense mood on the streets changed to that of festivity soon after the government, announced that it would meet most of the demands. — PTI

US welcomes govt's move

Islamabad: The US today welcomed the Pakistan government's announcement to reinstate deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, describing it as a “statesmanlike decision” to defuse a serious confrontation and a “substantial step” toward national reconciliation. — PTI

Man of the moment

Islamabad, March 16
Policeman’s son
The son of a policeman, Chaudhry, 60, became a Supreme Court judge in 2000 and was appointed the youngest ever chief justice in June 2005.

He became a symbol of resistance to General Pervez Musharraf after refusing to quit in the face of pressure from the then President and his intelligence chiefs.

Musharraf suspended Chaudhry on March 9, 2007.

Why did Musharraf want to get rid of him?

At the time Chaudhry was suspended he was hearing a case he had taken up on his own volition into the disappearance of people picked up by security agencies on suspicion of being involved in terrorism. The agencies were nonplussed when Chaudhry told them to produce missing people in court.

But the reason most people thought Musharraf moved against the judge was that the general anticipated Chaudhry would try to make him stand by a constitutional requirement to give up his role as army chief if he was to seek another term as President.

What happened?

Protesting lawyers, led by Ahsan, held rallies to demand the independence of the judiciary. The PPP and Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League both got behind Chaudhry’s cause.

In July 2007, Supreme Court judges delivered the first ever finding against a military ruler by lifting Musharraf’s suspension of Chaudhry.

When Musharraf engineered his re-election by a subservient parliament in October without first stepping down as army chief, the Supreme Court allowed the vote to go ahead while it deliberated whether the constitution had been violated and the result should stand.

Musharraf’s patience snapped a month later when he declared emergency rule and dismissed judges who refused to take a fresh oath of office.

Chaudhry refused, saying Musharraf’s acts were unconstitutional. Having secured the presidency, Musharraf then stepped down as army chief.

Why was Zardari reluctant to bring Chaudhry back?

In a general election in February 2008, the PPP swept to power riding a sympathy wave after Bhutto’s assassination a few weeks earlier.

Zardari took over leadership of the PPP and enticed Sharif’s PML-N to join a coalition by promising to restore Chaudhry and other judges sacked by Musharraf, who was still the President. It soon became apparent to Sharif that Zardari was going back on his word, and he pulled the PML-N out of the coalition.

Zardari reinstated most other judges Musharraf had dismissed but he feared if Chaudhry was restored he would rule Musharraf as an illegal president and overturn an amnesty the general had given Zardari and his wife in late 2007 to allow them to return to Pakistan without fear of prosecution on old corruption cases they said were politically motivated. In August, Zardari forced Musharraf to quit gracefully rather than face impeachment. Musharraf still needs some form of indemnity from parliament to be sure he isn’t tried for violating the constitution. — Reuters

10 killed in Rawalpindi blast

Islamabad, March 16
At least 10 persons were killed and 20 injured in a suicide attack in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi today. The blast occurred in a crowded bus at Pir Wadhai Chowk in Rawalpindi. Witnesses said at least 10 persons were killed in the attack.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals by ambulances and the condition of four of them was said to be critical. The head of the suspected suicide bomber had been found at the site, Aaj TV channel reported.

Many of the victims were hit by ball bearings that were packed into the suicide jacket and several vehicles were severely damaged by the blast.

Interior Ministry Chief Rehman Malik told reporters that the suicide bomber could have caused widespread destruction if he had been able to target political workers and leaders who had gathered for a protest organised by lawyers and political parties.

Police officials said the bomber’s explosives could have detonated prematurely before he could strike his intended target. Security personnel cordoned off the area and began scouring the site of the blast for clues.

Malik said law enforcement agencies would remain on alert as intelligence reports had said there could be a “series of suicide attacks” on key buildings and important personalities.

The terrorists had also drawn up plans for target killings, he said. — PTI

Koirala: No India help to oust Maoists

Kathmandu, March 16
Nepalese opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala has asked Prime Minister Prachanda to run the government with consensus of all the stakeholders and said his talks with Indian leaders revolved around this and dismissed reports that he has sought New Delhi’s help to oust the Maoists-led ministry.

The former premier also refuted allegations that he along with former King Gyanendra want to revive monarchy in Nepal by installing latter’s grand son Hridayendra on the throne.

“Neither did I have any intention to topple the government, nor did I plan to meet ex-King Gyanendra in India,” Koirala told reporters at Tribhuvan International Airport yesterday after his arrival.

Pointing out that during the meetings with Indian leaders both the sides agreed that there should be political stability in Nepal and a new constitution should be promulgated in time, Koirala said, “this is possible only when the government takes the confidence of all the stakeholders. It is our responsibility to solve problems at home,” the former premier added. — PTI