Musharraf the only man upset with us: Sacked judge

Taking strong exception to Pakistan Supreme Court's order validating the state of emergency, deposed Justice Rana Bhagwandas has said the judges hand-picked by President Pervez Musharraf are ineligible to hear Constitutional petitions.

He reacted sharply to a seven-member bench's ruling on Friday, which said that certain judges of the pre-emergency Supreme Court had crossed their limits, interfered in administrative affairs and subsequently rendered many institutions ineffective.

Bhagwandas, under house arrest since he was sacked on November 3, told The News daily that the judges sworn in under the Provisional Constitutional Order issued by Musharraf had no right to speak such words about those who refused to compromise on unconstitutional measures taken by the military ruler.

He said the people of Pakistan were happy with the role being played by the Supreme Court of Pakistan when it was headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chowdhury, who has also been sacked.

In a clear reference to Musharraf, Bhagwandas said there was only one man feeling 'upset' with what was being done by the earlier apex court.

He said that if one person is in trouble, it does not mean that he could hold the Constitution in abeyance and proclaim emergency while a few 'hand-picked' judges validated his extra-constitutional steps.

Bhagwandas said only those judges who showed character and did not take oath under the PCO are eligible to hear such petitions. The beneficiaries of the PCO could not do justice to such petitions, he said.