Hameed Dogar sworn in as new Pakistan Chief Justice

Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has taken oath as the new chief justice of the apex court on Saturday.

Islamabad, Nov.3 : Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has taken oath as the new chief justice of the apex court on Saturday.

President Musharraf administered oath to the new chief justice.

JUstice Dogar replaces incumbent Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was summarily dismissed by the Musharraf regime after he and several other apex court judges refused to accept the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) declaring emergency across Pakistan.

The apex court bench has said that the emergency cannot be imposed and the PCO could not be issued.

According to the court's decision no judge and chief justice of the Supreme Court and High Courts can take oath under the new PCO.Under this decision, all corps commanders, chief of army staff and all civil and military officials have been bound that they would not abide by any order of the government which go against the constitution or the law.

The prime minister and the president have been made parties in the decision.

The chief justice and all members of the bench are present in the building of the Supreme Court while the chief justice called the IG Islamabad in connection with cordoning off the Supreme Court building and the stopping of the media from entering the building but he did not appear, The News reported. Other print and electronic news reports said that the judges have been confined to their houses and their movements have been restricted.

The bench said that it would make every such decision which would be in accordance with the law and the Constitution and nobody would be allowed to break the law, news reports said.

The Musharraf regime has reportedly set a deadline of 11 p.m.for-concerned officials to sign the PCO. (ANI with inputs)

ANI