Ex-Pak Chief Justice pressess for his reinstatement

Islamabad, Apr.1 : Pakistan's deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Tuesday pressed for his reinstatement, saying that he was still the legal head of the country's apex court.

Hailing the end of ''one-man rule'' in Pakistan, Chaudhry told a gathering of lawyers in Quetta that his sacking by President General Musharraf was illegal.

"The judges who refused to swear a fresh oath of office during the emergency ''claim that we are all the judges of the courts, and those people who took the oath ... are not legal and constitutional judges,'' he told the lawyers.

He said the results of February 18 parliamentary elections had ''changed the country's culture.'' ''Who did this? This is done by you people and the people of the country. The message is clear that in future everything will be constitutional in the country and there will be no more one-man rule,'' Chaudhry said.

Chaudhry's address to the District Bar Association (DBA) however was deferred for unavoidable reasons.

Senior advocate, Hadi Shakil told Geo News that Chaudhry had addressed a lawyers' convention until about 4.00 a.m. this morning and couldn't address DBA today because of his some personal engagements.

However, sources said that the deposed CJ address was postponed due to security reasons.

A luncheon was organised for Chaudhry by the Pashtunkhaw Milli Awami Party (PMAP).

The deposed Chief Justice also visited the Kansi Graveyard for offer prayers at the graves of his parents.

ANI