Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ISLAMABAD1194
2007-03-14 13:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:  

AITZAZ AHSAN ON HIS LATEST CLIENT: THE CHIEF

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PK PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001194 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PK PREL
SUBJECT: AITZAZ AHSAN ON HIS LATEST CLIENT: THE CHIEF
JUSTICE


Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001194

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PK PREL
SUBJECT: AITZAZ AHSAN ON HIS LATEST CLIENT: THE CHIEF
JUSTICE


Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) On March 13, Aitzaz Ahsan, a lead attorney for now
"suspended" Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, told
Ambassador that the five-day-old saga of the Chief Justice
was "maximum political theater." Seeming to relish his role
in the drama (it is hard to turn on the television without
seeing Aitzaz these days),Pakistan's top civil rights
attorney said the Supreme Judicial Council hearings "would be
fun."


2. (C) Aitzaz' tactic in the hearings will be to prove
that, even if his client is guilty of ethics violations, some
of the justices on the SJC are guilty of the same or even
worse offenses. On the other hand, the government's
prosecutor, the Attorney General, is universally held in high
esteem. (Note: During recent Supreme Court cases regarding
missing persons in Pakistan, the Attorney General quietly
sided with petitioners demanding information from the
security services on missing family members. He told us he
was obligated to do so as an officer of the court and a
supporter of the rule of law. End Note.)


3. (C) Aitzaz described the opening session of the Supreme
Judicial Council as "bizarre." The "in camera" proceedings
took place in a salon, with all participants sitting on
sofas. Justice Chaudhry traded accusations with the five
justices on the Council, a common one being "If I ever
intervened to help my son, you've done it twice over."
Aitzaz described the proceedings/sparring as "preliminary,"
noting the real hearings will begin on Friday, March 16.
Aitzaz' first order of business will be to have the
proceedings moved into a public setting. He noted that,
while the 1970-1971 proceedings against Sheikh Shaukat Aziz
had been held in camera, the defendant had requested such an
arrangement. Chaudhry wanted public proceedings, and Aitzaz
seemed to believe he would prevail on that score. (Note:
Opening the hearings to the public is a chief demand of the
bar associations that have protested throughout Pakistan this
week. End Note.)


4. (C) Despite Aitzaz' status as a senior PPP leader, his
goal is to prevent the hearings from being hijacked by
politicians, particularly from the religious parties. (MMA
politicians have been prominent in pro-Chaudhry protests
around the country.) Aitzaz said his defense posture would
be to attack the judges on the Supreme Judicial Council, not
Musharraf. Aitzaz also said it was important not to let this
issue be hijacked by the religious parties.


5. (C) Comment: While many observers agree with Aitzaz'
low opinion of several of the justices on the Supreme
Judicial Council, the litigators themselves -- Aitzaz and the
Attorney General -- are first rate lawyers, scholars, and
supporters of the civil society. Like the rest of Pakistan,
we will be watching the Chief Justice's story play out in the
Supreme Judicial Council. End Comment.

CROCKER