Pak CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry to get 5-year tenure

Islamabad, May 2: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have agreed to giving a five-year tenure to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, thus reducing the tenure of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry by three years.

The News quoted sources in Dubai as saying that they have also agreed that Justice Javed Iqbal will either not be restored, or made junior to the present Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. Under the pre-November 3 arrangements, Justice Chaudhry was to retire on December 11, 2013, but under the new formula, he will now retire in 2010.

According to the proposed judicial reforms package, the retirement age for the Supreme Court judges in Pakistan will be raised from 65 to 68, which will enable Justice Dogar to remain the chief justice from December 11, 2010 to March 21, 2012 though originally he was to retire on March 21, 2009.

Meanwhile, Justice Javed Iqbal said that legally he could neither be removed nor made junior to anyone. He said that he would take his case to the Supreme Court once the deposed judges were restored.

ANI