Pak to appoint Hindu judge as acting CJ

Faced with unprecedented public protests over the sacking of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhury, Pakistan on Saturday announced the apex court's only Hindu judge, who is next in line for the post, would be sworn in as acting chief justice on his return from India.

The decision to make Justice Rana Bhagwan Das the acting chief justice, a key demand made by Chaudhury, was made public by Law Minister Wasi Jafar.

"The government being conscious and fully adamant to abide by Constitutional provisions and laws, assures the lawyers and the whole nation that the very moment Justice Rana Bhagwan Das returns he will be given the oath of acting chief justice as per requirement of the Constitutional provisions," Jafar said in an official statement.

Das, the only Hindu to have risen to the highest level of Pakistan's judiciary, is on a month's leave for a pilgrimage to India and is due to return on March 22.

There were earlier indications that he might not be selected for the top post in view of his religion and experts had questioned whether he could preside over matters involving Shariat or Islamic law.

Pakistan has witnessed widespread protests by lawyers and opposition political groups against the sacking of Chaudhury, who is also facing charges of misusing his position.