Court to hear suspended CJ's petitions

Pakistan Supreme Court's re-constituted full court, comprising of 13 judges, on Tuesday resumed hearing on 23 constitutional petitions, filed by suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Rana Bhagwandas had reconstituted the apex court on Monday after Justice Falak Sher had refused to sit in the 14-judge Full Court to hear Chaudhry's petitions.

The new full court, headed by Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, comprises Justices Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, Mian Shakirullah Jan, M Javed Buttar, Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, Nasirul Mulk, Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Syed Jamshed Ali and the ad hoc judges, Hamid Ali Mirza and Ghulam Rabbani.

The apex court had earlier refused permission to the Supreme Judicial Council, to whom President Pervez Musharraf had made a reference against Chief Justice Chaudhry, after suspending him on March 9 on charges of misusing office to promote his son.

The action has triggered a nationwide agitation by lawyers, with the opposition parties and sections of the media joining in. It took a violent turn in Karachi last Saturday, killing over 40 people.

The resignation of Justice Falak Sher on Monday was welcomed by sections of the media.

In an editorial entitled "Well done your lordship", English language newspaper The Nation said Sher had "done well" by withdrawing himself from the 14-member Full Court.