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| Bhagwan Das is acting CJ of Pak SC | | | KARACHI, MAR 24
Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, seniormost judge of the Pakistani judiciary and the only Hindu judge, was today sworn in as the acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Justice Das was sworn in by outgoing acting Chief Justice Javed Iqbal at the apex court's registry here amid a boycott by the Supreme Court Bar Council.
Bar Council President Muneer Malik, who is also the lawyer of suspended Chief Justice Iftikaar Muhammed Choudhry, boycotted the proceedings saying Justice Choudhry continues to be the Chief Justice and the sppointment of any new ACJ was "unconstitutional".
However, the ceremony was attended by a host of senior judges and lawyers.
Born on December 20, 1942, in Sindh, Justice Das joined the Pakistan Judicial Service in July 1967.
He was elevated to the Pakistan High Court in 1994 and joined the Supreme Court in 2000.
He is considered to be an expert on constitutional law. Besides graduating in law, he has also done his masters in Islamic studies.
Justice Das is the second non-Muslim judge in Pakistan to reach the top position in the judiciary. Earlier, Justice A R Cornelius, a Christian, had served as the Chief Justice during 1960-68.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Chaudhry on March 9 on charges of "misconduct and misuse" of authority, six years before his term was to end.
Justice Iqbal had been immediately sworn-in as the Acting Chief Justice as Justice Das was on a visit to India.
Justice Chaudhry during his appearance before the five-member Supreme Judicial Council had insisted that Justice Das be made the Acting Chief Justice.
The swearing in ceremony that was telecast live by some private channels was attended by judges of lower and higher courts as well as some senior advocates of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, whose President Munir Mallik boycotted the proceedings.
Munir, who is also defending Justice Chaudhry at the SJC, said while he had the highest respect for Justice Das and welcomed his taking over as head of the SJC, he considered his appointment as the ACJ unconstitutional. He said Chaudhry continued to be the Chief Justice.
Mallik was in Karachi to take part in the lawyers' protest against the suspension of Chaudhry.
"The order of President Pervez Musharraf making the Chief Justice non-functional is unconstitutional," Mallik said.
Also the order by the SJC restraining the Chief Justice from performing his functions "is disputed as it is the case of the legal fraternity. The SJC is not a constitutional court and has no powers to interpret the constitution," he said.
As Justice Das took the oath of office, lawyers in Karachi and several other cities of Pakistan, including Islamabad, boycotted courts for the 15th day today.
The Bar councils have called for a boycott of courts on March 26. The PML-Q and Pakistan Peoples Party headed by former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto respectively, have also announced nationwide protests.
An SMS message did the rounds of Pakistani mobile phones saying, "For a country created in the name of Islam, the hope of justice for the 160 million Muslims of it rested in the hands of Bhagwan (Das).
According to political analysts, it remains to be seen whether the government's move to make Justice Das the ACJ to bring credibility to the SJC and the trial process because of his untainted reputation, would help end the lawyer's agitation.
Justice Das was born in Naseerabad in Larkana district of Sindh and did his Masters in Islamic Studies after completing LLB and LLM. He joined the Bar in 1965 and the judicial service in 1967.
He was elevated as the judge of the Sindh High Court in 1994 and later to the Supreme Court in 2000. He is due to retire in December this year.
Justice Das has held the post of the ACJ in the past when Justice Chaudhry went on foreign tours.
This is the first time he held the post, which carried the aut hority of the Chief Justice, as Justice Chaudhry was placed under suspension on charges of misconduct and misuse of authority.
Besides Justice Das, the new SJC will have Justice Iqbal and Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar and Chief Justices of Lahore and Sindh High Courts.
Justice S Raza Khan, the Supreme Court judge who was earlier part of the SJC, would be dropped as he was inducted in the absence of Justice Das who was touring India on a pilgrimage when Chaudhry was suspended by Musharraf on March 9 sparking nationwide protests.
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