Pakistan gets new Chief Justice

Dogar, one of the judges of the Supreme Court who had heared a petition challenging the continuance of Chaudhary as Chief Justice, was sworn in by Musharraf at a ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

He is among four judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order which came into force following imposition of Emergency.

The other three judges of the apex court are Justice Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar and Justice M Javed Buttar.

The Pakistan government also appointed new chief justices for Sindh, Lahore and Balosisthan High Courts.

Justice Abdul Mohammed Somroo has been appointed as new Chief Justice of Sindh High Court while Justice Amanula Yasim Zai will be the new Chief Justice of Balosisthan High Court, the state-run PTV reported.

Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhury has been appointed as new Chief Justice of Lahore High Court.

New CJ over-rules Chaudhry`s order annulling emergency

Pakistan`s new Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has over-ruled an order issued by his predecessor Iftikhar M Chaudhry annulling the emergency imposed by the embattled President Pervez Musharraf.

Dogar, who was sworn in by Musharraf as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shortly after the imposition of emergency, said the verdict of Chaudhry and eight other judges of the apex court was "defunct" and null and void.

The order issued by Chaudhry and the other judges was the last act of defiance before they were removed from the Supreme Court by security forces. They had asserted that the government could not take any action that affected the independence of the judiciary.

Chaudhry and the eight other judges had also refused to endorse the provisional Constitutional order issued by Musharraf to suspend fundamental rights and to sack or replace the judges of the Supreme Court and provincial high courts. - DDNEWS