February 15 2010
The clash of institutions (between the government and the judiciary) being talked about for so long has finally come to the fore. Pakistan faced fresh turmoil last Sunday after President Asif Ali Zardari and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court clashed over court appointments.
The crisis erupted, according to an AFP report, when President Zardari made two judicial appointments against the recommendations of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, prompting the Supreme Court to suspend the appointments late Saturday.
The presidential notifications, issued by the ministry of law, regarded the elevation of Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Justice Khawaja Mohammed Sharif to the Supreme Court and Justice Mian Saqib Nisar’s appointment as Acting Chief Justice of Lahore High Court.
A statement from the bench concluded that Zardari’s appointments appeared unconstitutional. The move sparked protests and according to analysts, sets the stage for possible challenges to the president’s rule, reports AFP.