960418

Justice Nasir's

appointment not

forced: CJ

SIKANDER HAYAT

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Sajjad Ali Shah on Thursday rejected the suggestion that he had agreed to give oath to Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid as a judge of the Supreme Court under pressure from the President or any other quarter.

"No question of surrendering to pressure. Forget about pressure" were his brief, erish replies to reporters who asked him if he had administered oath to Justice Zahid as judge of the apex court under pressure.

The Chief Justice was having a reluctant talk with reporters after giving oath to Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid at a simple ceremony which was conspicuous by the thin attendance by the lawyers community. President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Akram Sheikh, who under normal protocol was expected to be present at the ceremony at the Supreme Court building, was also not there.

However, the media was fully represented, thanks the special efforts made by the Press Information Department, to ensure extensive coverage of the even which appeared almost the anti-climax to the raging controversy over the question whether Justice Zahid should be asked to resume office as the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court or be elevated to the Supreme Court.

"I have no comments to offer" was the reply of Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah to the question if he had met with President Farooq Leghari a day before.

In reply to another question the Chief Justice said he was "optimistic" that the Supreme Court judgement in the judges case would be implemented. But, has it been implemented "in letter and Spirit" in the appointment of Justice Mamoon Kazi as the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was asked. He replied: "From the oath given to him it looks so".

Asked if feared any threat to his life, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah replied "God provides protection. The country has to be saved. The institutions have to be saved".

In reply to another question the Chief Justice replied that there was no contact, as yet, with the executive with relation to the question of regularisation of the ad hoc judges.

Justice Sajjad appreciated the role of the Press in lending support to him in seeking fuller implementation of the Supreme Court judgement. He said he would appoint a spokesman and a PRO of the Supreme Court for liaison with media.