Islamabad
Pakistani judges who had refused to take oath under the Provisional
Constitutional Order (PCO) "have ceased to hold their offices and
wouldn't come back", a top official has said.
"The judges who had refused the PCO were gone and would not come
back," Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum was quoted as saying
by Dawn Saturday.
"Their cases are past and a closed chapter."
Besides, the Supreme Court while validating the Nov 3 proclamation
of emergency, the official recalled, had also held that cases of
these judges were "past and closed transaction".
Qayyum, however, said a special law was being drafted and would be
announced in a day or two by the government to provide retirement
benefits to the deposed judges.
The benefits would include 80 percent of the salary of a judge as
pension, 200 litres of petrol for his private cars, a driver,
medical facilities, free utilities and a provision to set up a
private office at his residence.
Through the imposition of emergency and promulgation of the PCO Nov
3, the then military ruler Pervez Musharraf had imposed curbs on the
judges of the superior courts.
Many judges, including chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, were deposed
after they refused to abide by the PCO.
Qayyum said the emergency will be lifted and constitution, with
amendments, restored Dec 15.
"The Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) will be repealed and the
constitution - with the amendments introduced by President Pervez
Musharraf after proclamation of emergency on Nov 3 - will be
revived," he said.
Fundamental rights would be restored with the revival of the
constitution, Qayyum said, adding a presidential order would be
issued Dec 15 announcing the lifting of emergency and repeal of the
PCO.
Pervez Musharraf had already announced the measures Nov 29 after he
took oath as civilian president and promised in his address to the
nation that the emergency would be lifted by Dec 16.
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