Thursday, March 15, 2007

NBA, ICJ flay Pakistani CJ’s detention
The Nepal Bar Association (NBA) on wednesday condemned the Pakistani government for suspending and detaining Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry.The NBA said it was an unconstitutional act of President Pervez Musharraf to suspend and detain the Chief Justice.Issuing a press release, NBA general secretary Raman Kumar Shrestha flayed the Pakistani government’s suppression of lawyers while opposing the action against the Chief Justice in the streets.The lawyers’ body urged the Pakistani government to restore him to his post and respect his rights.On March 9, President Musharraf declared Choudhary unqualified and suspended him. He has been under home arrest since then.Meanwhile, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) also expressed its serious concern about the unconstitutional suspension of the Chief Justice.Issuing a press release, the ICJ called on the government to act urgently to demonstrate its commitment to the independence of the judiciary by releasing the Chief Justice from house arrest.“The suspension of the Chief Justice by the President is unprecedented and unconstitutional.It has undermined the separation of powers and threatens the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Pakistan,” Nicholas Howen, the ICJ secretary-general stated in the release.

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