Gen for ‘harmonious ties’ with CJ

President General Pervez Musharraf has publicly accepted the court ruling that reversed his suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, saying judicial independence was essential to govern the country, state media said on Wednesday.

President General Pervez Musharraf has publicly accepted the court ruling that reversed his suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, saying judicial independence was essential to govern the country, state media said on Wednesday.

He said he hoped to maintain “harmonious ties” with Justice Chaudhry.

Musharraf faced protests by lawyers and opposition supporters after he suspended Chaudhry in March for allegedly abusing his office to get a lucrative job for his son and benefits for himself.

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Critics accused the President of trying to get rid of an independent-minded judge before seeking another five-year term as head of state.

Musharraf, a key ally of Washington in its war on terror, faced the worst political crisis on July 20 when the Supreme Court reinstated Chaudhry, declaring his suspension illegal.

“I accept the judgment of the judiciary and honour it,” the state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Musharraf as saying during a speech Tuesday.

But Musharraf also defended his action against Chaudhry, saying he was fulfilling a constitutional requirement, the agency reported.

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He said he had personal relations with Chaudhry and hoped to maintain them. “We had family ties and hope to maintain the same harmonious ties in future,” he was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Musharraf, who is also the army chief, said he held judges in the “highest esteem” and had never tried to politicise the judiciary. However, there was no comment from Chaudhry, who resumed his official duties shortly after the Supreme Court reinstated him.