Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ISLAMABAD1834
2007-04-24 13:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
CHIEF JUSTICE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES: THE HEARINGS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001834
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2017
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PK PREL
SUBJECT: CHIEF JUSTICE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES: THE HEARINGS
REF: A. ISLAMABAD 1783
B. AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Charge d'Affairs a.i. Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001834
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2017
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PK PREL
SUBJECT: CHIEF JUSTICE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES: THE HEARINGS
REF: A. ISLAMABAD 1783
B. AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Charge d'Affairs a.i. Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)
1. (U) On April 24, both the Supreme Court and the Supreme
Judicial Council considered petitions relating to the
presidential reference against the Chief Justice. In the
Supreme Court, Presiding Justice Muhammad Raza Khan excused
himself from considering the Chief Justice's petition. Khan
said he had recused himself -- despite pleas from both the
Chief Justice's and the Government's attorneys not to --
because he had previously signed a restraining order against
the Chief Justice.
2. (U) Sharifuddin Pirzada, an adviser to the Prime Minister
and a leading constitutional lawyer, announced he will defend
President Musharraf, the primary respondent in the Chief
Justice's Supreme Court petition. Earlier, Pirzada had
declined to represent the government at the Supreme Judicial
Council and has expressed consternation over the way the
President handled the Chief Justice reference.
3. (U) The Supreme Judicial Council also met on April 24.
Counsel Aitzaz Ahsan argued against the composition of the
Council and again demanded that three of the justices recuse
themselves. The Council's next hearings will be May 2 and 3.
4. (C) The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
(PEMRA) ordered satellite television station Aaj TV to appear
before PEMRA on April 25. According to PEMRA's Show Cause
order and to Embassy contacts, PEMRA is accusing Aaj of
overly criticizing the Government's handling of the Chief
Justice controversy; PEMRA is threatening to cancel Aaj TV's
broadcasting license. This apparently is the first time
PEMRA has attempted to censor any reporting on the Chief
Justice issue since PEMRA took GEO Television off the air for
20 minutes in early March. After that incident, both
President Musharraf and Minister of Information Durrani
promised that the government would no longer censor
television coverage of the controversy. (Comment: As in the
earlier GEO incident, PEMRA may have acted without consulting
the Government. End Comment.)
5. (U) The Additional Advocate General of the Punjab
announced on April 23 that he would resign his position to
protest the government's handling of the Chief Justice case.
BODDE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2017
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PK PREL
SUBJECT: CHIEF JUSTICE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES: THE HEARINGS
REF: A. ISLAMABAD 1783
B. AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Charge d'Affairs a.i. Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)
1. (U) On April 24, both the Supreme Court and the Supreme
Judicial Council considered petitions relating to the
presidential reference against the Chief Justice. In the
Supreme Court, Presiding Justice Muhammad Raza Khan excused
himself from considering the Chief Justice's petition. Khan
said he had recused himself -- despite pleas from both the
Chief Justice's and the Government's attorneys not to --
because he had previously signed a restraining order against
the Chief Justice.
2. (U) Sharifuddin Pirzada, an adviser to the Prime Minister
and a leading constitutional lawyer, announced he will defend
President Musharraf, the primary respondent in the Chief
Justice's Supreme Court petition. Earlier, Pirzada had
declined to represent the government at the Supreme Judicial
Council and has expressed consternation over the way the
President handled the Chief Justice reference.
3. (U) The Supreme Judicial Council also met on April 24.
Counsel Aitzaz Ahsan argued against the composition of the
Council and again demanded that three of the justices recuse
themselves. The Council's next hearings will be May 2 and 3.
4. (C) The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
(PEMRA) ordered satellite television station Aaj TV to appear
before PEMRA on April 25. According to PEMRA's Show Cause
order and to Embassy contacts, PEMRA is accusing Aaj of
overly criticizing the Government's handling of the Chief
Justice controversy; PEMRA is threatening to cancel Aaj TV's
broadcasting license. This apparently is the first time
PEMRA has attempted to censor any reporting on the Chief
Justice issue since PEMRA took GEO Television off the air for
20 minutes in early March. After that incident, both
President Musharraf and Minister of Information Durrani
promised that the government would no longer censor
television coverage of the controversy. (Comment: As in the
earlier GEO incident, PEMRA may have acted without consulting
the Government. End Comment.)
5. (U) The Additional Advocate General of the Punjab
announced on April 23 that he would resign his position to
protest the government's handling of the Chief Justice case.
BODDE