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WEEKLY
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| SC strength cut to 12 |
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Tuesday, November 06, 2007
By Muhammad Ahmad Noorani
ISLAMABAD: The strength of the Supreme Court judges has been downsized to twelve, 11 judges and one chief justice, from 17, in the wake of Black Saturdayís Musharraf coup against the judiciary, Attorney General of Pakistan Justice Malik Qayyum confirmed to The News on Monday night.
He also revealed that four judges of the high courts have been appointed as Supreme Court judges on Monday and they will take oath anytime. The AG, however, did not name the judges as the discussion was on telephone. There are four judges of the Supreme Court Justice Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Khokhar, Justice Javed Bhuttar and Justice Saeed Ashaad, who have already taken oath under the PCO in addition to Justice Dogar of the Supreme Court who has taken oath as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Malik Muhammad Qayum, the Attorney General of Pakistan, when approached by The News admitted that in today’s high-level meetings it has been finally decided and the total number of judges of the Supreme Court is being reduced to 12.
Qayyum, however, said it was purely an administrative decision and has nothing to do with the Nov 3 decisions. He said that only the chief justice of the Supreme Court can contact high court judges or senior most lawyers for their appointment in the Supreme Court and then can send his recommendations to the president of Pakistan. He claimed that government officials have nothing to do with the appointment of the new judges in the Supreme Court. He said that senior lawyers could be appointed as the judges of the Supreme Court directly but this has never happened in our history.
Malik Qayum revealed that the government was trying to persuade two other judges of a high court for their appointment in the Supreme Court. He said that by the inclusion of the two more judges there will be eleven judges in the Supreme Court and one more judge will be added later on.
He said these 11 judges (five old and six new) will again take up the petition of Justice (R) Wajeehuldin Ahmad challenging the candidature of General Pervez Musharraf as presidential candidate. He said that the government would win the case.
Sources disclosed that the attorney general in Lahore, Khawaja Naveed in Karachi and some highly placed government official in Islamabad have approached some prominent lawyers for their direct appointment as the judges of the Supreme Court, a practice that would be tried for the first time in 60 years history of Pakistan.
However, the sources said that these highest government officials got nothing except embarrassment as almost all the lawyers refused. These sources also told The News that the attorney general has also approached some Lahore High Court (LHC) judges who refused to take oath under the the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) and has tried to persuade them to take oath under the PCO with the promise that they would be promoted as Supreme Court judges latter on.
AGP Qayyum denied that he had contacted some senior lawyers or some LHC judges to offer them appointment in the apex court in case they take oath under the PCO. He said he did not believe in these things.
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Three killed as Sh Rashid escapes attempt on life
By Shakeel Anjum
RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief and a candidate for NA-55 (Rawalpindi) by-election Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was wounded, while three people — a guard and two party workers — were killed when four gunmen more |
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12 soldiers killed in South Waziristan
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Govt taking court for a ride
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Pakistan against arms race: Gilani
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Punjab-Sindh water row Centre’s intervention sought
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French, Dutch fight over giving LNG to Pakistan
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Nine killed as no let-up in rains
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Malik orders NUML closure as protest enters 5ht day
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Malik insists no Blackwater in Pakistan
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FBR gets list of properties rented out to foreigners
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ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has received list of properties from Foreign Office, which were in use of foreigners in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, but these were not shown in annual tax more |
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Repealing of 17th Amendment
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Three suspects held in Mohmand
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No presence of Blackwater, DynCorp in Pakistan, NA body told
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Govt urged to take up water issue with India
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Avalanche kills 17 Indian soldiers in held Kashmir
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Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault
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Plea to freeze foreign accounts
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the federal government to submit a reply within four weeks on a petition seeking freezing of accounts in foreign banks and recovery of illegal assets accumu more |
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Attack on Sh Rashid
RAWALPINDI: The PML-N candidate for by-polls from NA-55, Malik Shakil Awan, has announced suspension of electioneering for a day to mourn the death of those killed in the attack on the office of his rival, Shei more |
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Indian forces to halt Kashmir rally outside UN office
HELD SRINAGAR: The held Kashmir authorities deployed thousands of police and troops on Monday to prevent a protest outside the UN office here over the recent killing of two teenage boys by Indian security force more |
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briefs...
20 die in Afghan floods, avalanches
KANDAHAR: Twenty people have died in floods and avalanches triggered by some of the heaviest rain and snow in Afghanistan for 50 years, an official said on Monday. At more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
