Pakistan's Supreme Court upped the ante in its standoff with the ruling PPP,warning the government that any move to dismiss judges would be deemed an act of subversion and a violation of the Constitution. The warning was issued by a 17-judge bench headed by independent-minded Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry that initiated suo moto proceedings on media reports that the Pakistan People's Party-led government was planning to dismiss judges hearing an appeal against a verdict that annulled a graft amnesty which benefited President Asif Ali Zardari and over 8,000 others. Though Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said last night that media reports about the possible dismissal of judges were "baseless," the Chief Justice said during today's proceedings that,according to his information,the reports were not false. He said the government should conduct a probe into the media reports. The bench unanimously issued a restraining order that directed constitutional and government functionaries,including the Prime Minister,President and army chief,not to take any step against the judges. Such a step,the bench warned,would be deemed an act of subversion as it would violate Article 6 of the Constitution,which relates to high treason. "Any step (to remove the judges) would be tantamount to the toppling of an important pillar of state and subverting the Constitution," the Chief Justice said. The drama began late last night after several TV news channels reported that the government was contemplating the withdrawal of a notification issued in March last year to restore the Chief Justice and dozens of members of the superior judiciary who were sacked by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf during the 2007 emergency. The Chief Justice and all judges of the apex court,who were in their homes when the channels beamed the news,returned to the court and held a meeting that continued well past midnight. A statement issued to the media at about 1 am said the Chief Justice had constituted a 17-member full bench to take up the government's alleged intention to de-notify the restoration of judges. The full bench convened this morning and the Chief Justice told Attorney General Anwar-ul-Haq to submit a statement signed by Prime Minister Gilani giving the government's viewpoint. The bench told Haq that the court wanted to fully understand the government's stand in the matter.
