Pak govt. to challenge Supreme Court's verdict over judge's elevation

Islamabad, Feb.14 (ANI) : The Pakistan government has decided to file a review petition against the Supreme Court's decision suspending the notification regarding judges elevation.

President Asi Ali Zardari had ordered to elevate Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif to the apex bench, and appointed Judge Saqib Nisar as the acting Chief Justice of the LHC.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting involving Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani besides other top officials.

"The Government would defend its notification of judges' appointment by filing a review petition in the Supreme Court. Even if the Government does not file the review petition against the suspension orders, it would wait till the hearing of the case on February 18 as fixed by the court itself," sources privy to the meeting said.

Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson rejected the notion that the government's move to elevate the judges, while ignoring Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry's recommendations, would create wider the rift between the Presidency and the higher Judiciary.

"Neither the President has imposed emergency in the country nor there was any emergency meeting in the Presidency," The Nation quoted Babar, as saying.

"The courts are independent and they are free to exercise their independence," he added. (ANI)