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Attempt to meet Iftikhar Chaudhry foiled again

ISLAMABAD: A second attempt by a former Supreme Court judge to meet deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry ended when the police forced a procession of students, lawyers and civil society activists that he was leading to turn back.

After the Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that the sacked and house-arrested Supreme Court judges were free to move about, Justice (retd.) Wajihuddin Ahmed, who contested the October 6 presidential election against General Pervez Musharraf, has unsuccessfully tried twice to visit Mr. Chaudhry at his residence. On Wednesday, police intercepted him as he went with a group of lawyers to the Judges Enclave, a block of government-built bungalows housing the Supreme Court judges. The police arrested Athar Minallah, a well-known lawyer, who was among those accompanying Mr. Ahmed.

Mr. Chaudhry's own attempts to test the government's statement about the lifting of the house arrest came to naught when the police prevented him from leaving his home. They also locked the Judges Enclave.

On Thursday, Mr. Ahmed, who was among six judges sacked in 2000 after refusing to be sworn in under Gen. Musharraf's first provisional constitutional order, made another attempt to meet Mr. Chaduhry, this time leading a tiny procession of civil society activists. But, he was stopped once again by the police and the procession asked to turn back.

Later, they assembled outside a bookshop where Mr. Ahmed declared that Gen. Musharraf could restore the Constitution, restore fundamental rights, free the media, but as long as he did not reinstate the sacked judges, "we will not rest."

He said the latest executive order by Gen. Musharraf giving legal cover to the Emergency and all the actions taken under it "is an admission that these actions were illegal and unconstitutional."

"If you have done nothing wrong, where is the need for immunity?" he said.

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