07455
July 25, 2007

Churches hail reinstatement of Pakistan's chief justice

by Anto Akkara
Ecumenical News International

BANGALORE, India — Churches in Pakistan have welcomed the reinstatement of the chief justice, Iftikhar M. Chaudhry, by his fellow judges in the country’s federal Supreme Court.

“This is a victory for democracy and a landmark in the history of Pakistan,” said Victor Azariah, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Pakistan, which groups four major Protestant churches. “The whole nation is celebrating it,” Azariah told Ecumenical News International on July 24 from his office in Lahore.

After hearing the petition of Pakistan’s chief justice, 10 of the 13 judges of the Pakistan Supreme Court declared his suspension in March illegal. The suspension followed allegations of corruption against Chaudhry by the president, Pervez Musharraf.

Many in the legal fraternity in Pakistan, as well as opposition parties and civil rights groups, including churches, had joined in protests against what they saw as an attempt to silence the chief justice.

The suspension was widely interpreted as an attempt by Musharraf — a military officer who captured power in a bloodless coup in 1999 — to ensure his smooth re-election as president and to simultaneously hold on to the post of army chief.

“We are glad that the judiciary has shown the guts to uphold the aspiration of the people,” said Azariah.

Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Roman Catholic Church, commented, “This is the finest hour of the judiciary in Pakistan.” Jacob told ENI that “an injustice had been done to Chaudhry and we [the churches] had also joined in the protests.”

During his suspension, Chaudhry held rallies across Pakistan. At the same time, the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission organized seminars with delegates from major political parties, social action groups and other Christian organizations to discuss civil and political rights.

Jacob said the reinstatement of Choudhry as chief justice has “rejuvenated the hope among the people that they can stand up to military rule.” Jacob also noted, “We have better chances of a fairer election now.”

Pakistan has scheduled national elections for later in 2007.