Pak's acting CJ in Lucknow?

Lucknow, Mar 18 (UNI) Pakistan's Acting Chief Justice - designate Rana Bhagwandas is on a month-long pilgrimage to India -- and is reported to be here to celebrate Cheti Chand, a festival of the Sindhi community.

Reporters here, wanting to interact with him for obvious reasons, had a hard time today tracing the VVIP.

Justice Bhagwandas has not sought a police escort, and is moving around as a common man. He reportedly participated in a 'satsang' programme of (Ms) Neelu Bhagwan -- a religious guru in the Lalbagh area of Lucknow.

He also reportedly visited Asuda Das Ashram -- a prominent place of worship for the Sindhi community here -- on the occasion of Cheti Chand being observed today.

Trying to track him, reporters today visited all the religious places of the community without success. But, police and intelligence sources maintained he was very much present in the City of Nawabs.

Faced with unprecedented public outcry over the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhury, Pakistan on Saturday announced the apex court's only Hindu judge, who is the seniormost, would be sworn in as acting CJ on his return from India.

The decision to make Justice Bhagwandas the acting CJ, a key demand made by Chaudhury, was made public by Law Minister Wasi Zafar.

Justice Bhagwandas, the only Hindu to have risen to the highest level of Pakistan's judiciary, is on a month's leave for a pilgrimage to India and is due to return on March 22.

UNI