Lahore: Pakistan`s Chief Justice Iftikhar
Chaudhry on Saturday said the Supreme Court will get its decisions
implemented "at any cost" and not allow anyone to flout them,
setting the stage for a possible confrontation with the
government.
Chaudhry made the remarks while addressing a meeting
of the Lahore Bar Association.
Tensions between the Pakistan People`s Party-led
government and the judiciary have increased in recent weeks
after the apex court insisted that authorities should reopen
graft cases against PPP chief and President Asif Ali Zardari
in Switzerland.
The government informed the court this week that there
was no need to reopen the cases and that it would not
communicate with Swiss authorities in accordance with the
court`s ruling to revive the corruption charges against
Zardari.
The Supreme Court has been insisting on revival of the
cases since it struck down the National Reconciliation
Ordinance, a graft amnesty that benefited Zardari and
thousands of others.
Observers said Chaudhry`s remarks were apparently a
reaction to the government`s stance and could worsen tensions
between the PPP and the judiciary.
The Chief Justice also said the judiciary is making
all out efforts to provide speedy justice to the people and
had succeeded in this regard to some extent.
Quick dispensation of justice will not be possible
without the cooperation of the Bar Association, he said.
Meanwhile, federal Law Secretary Aqil Mirza resigned
yesterday, a day after he was summoned by a five-judge bench
of the Supreme Court in connection with the non-implementation
of order to reopen the graft cases against Zardari.
Mirza cited health reasons for quitting the post.
However, observers said his decision was apparently
influenced by the standoff between the executive and the
judiciary.
The apex court had asked Mirza and the chief of the
National Accountability Bureau, Pakistan`s anti-corruption
agency, to appear before it on May 13 after Attorney General
Anwar-ul-Haq told the court that the Swiss cases against
Zardari had ended and there was no need to revive money
laundering cases involving the President.
PTI
