Pak CJ ready to risk his life to uphold law of the land (Re-issue)

In the wake of the Constitutional cases against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is ready to risk his life to ensure that law of the land is upheld.

Islamabad, Sep 17 : In the wake of the Constitutional cases against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is ready to risk his life to ensure that law of the land is upheld.

Family members and close friends of the Chief Justice say that he is so determined to do what he believes is right in his country's constitutional crisis that he is "like a reborn man".

"His new resolve is to go down in history as the best judge Pakistan has ever had, and he is ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to impart justice to everyone," his eldest son, Arslan said.

He said that after his father was restored to his post by the apex court, the Musharraf regime had halved the security around their home, and bugged their telephones.

In the wake of threats to his life, Chaudhry's family rarely leaves their house.

Yet the family say that their ordeal, especially when Chief Justice Chaudhry was dismissed, has only brought them closer together.

Television pictures of policemen manhandling Chief Justice Chaudhry and of protesting lawyers being baton-charged by police drew tens of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets.

"Our morale heightened when we saw the general public behind us," he said.

Arslan's sister Ayesha said that her father had strong nerves and would never share any kind of fear with them.

"He is more concerned about the public who stood behind him and about how to deliver justice to the public," she said.

Meanwhile, the General is ready to impose military rule to extend his stay in power.

Chief Justice Chaudhry has set up a nine-member panel of Supreme Court judges to begin hearing of two Constitutional cases against Musharraf: The first disputing his right to seek re-election, the second his right to continue as Army Chief.

Either could prevent Musharraf from staying in office beyond the next few weeks, in which case, his allies say he is ready to impose full military rule, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

"If the court confronts me, I'll definitely use the option of martial law," Musharraf told a senior party member recently.

The ruling PML-Q on Saturday put itself on a collision course with the Supreme Court by announcing that it had finalised its plans to re-elect Musharraf the first week of October.

ANI