Courts must stay away from politics: CJP

Pakistan

Courts must stay away from politics: CJP

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07 July,2010 12:32 pm

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, in his remarks during the hearing the petitions challenging 18th Amendment, said the courts must stay away from politics.The petitions are being heard by a 17-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The chief justice also said that judges are custodians of the constitution. He said the president is the head of the state and parliament must keep him updated on all state matters. In his arguments in the hearing of 18th Amenmdent case, lawyer of Watan Party Barisster Zafarullah said that only 6 government personalities have full control of the Parliament. Few of them are foreigners and only one is graduate, he added. Zafarullah said that the Parliament approved many controversial articles only to abolish the 58-2B. A 17-judge full court of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry is hearing petitions challenging certain clauses in the 18th Amendment. After ending of arguments of Zafarullah, lawyer of Rawalpindi District Bar Ikram Chaudhry started presenting his arguments. Barrister Zafarullah said that ending elections of political parties is unconstitutional and the Parliament approved a number of controversial articles only to abolish the 58-2B. Zafarullah said that the government didnt start a debate on 18th Amendment in the Parliament as it feared the opposition of its members. He said that Parliamentary Committee is not workable. No judge will be appointed if the work is handed over to such committee. The hearing has been adjourned till Thursday.