Pakistan withdraws top judge's professional misconduct charge

ISLAMABAD, July 16 Kyodo

Pakistan's federal government withdrew Monday the main charge of professional misconduct by President Pervez Musharraf in March this year against the chief justice of the apex Supreme Court.

Top government attorney Sharifuddin Pirzada told a 13-member bench hearing a petition from Chief Justice Mohammad Iftkhar Chaudri that Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have decided to withdraw the charge of judicial misconduct against Chaudri.

Pirzada informed the court Musharraf and Aziz had decided to withdraw two paragraphs in which the judge was accused of writing a decision contrary to his oral decision.

The withdrawal of the main charge of professional misconduct means that the move to have him removed from the bench has become virtually ineffective and the only remaining charges against Chaudri now relate to use of his office to get employment for his son and misuse of official vehicles.

Musharraf had filed against Chaudri in March after Chaudri had refused to resign.

It was widely believed Musharraf wanted Chaudri out of the way to ensure his reelection from the present assemblies while retaining his military rank of general because the move was bound to be challenged in the Supreme Court.

But the move triggered countrywide agitation by lawyers and political parties against Musharraf's action.

The terms of Musharraf and the incumbent national and provincial assemblies are due to expire on Nov. 15.

Several Cabinet ministers and aides had said Musharraf was contemplating reelection by the current assemblies for another term of five years.

Chaudri had filed a petition in the Supreme Court accusing Musharraf of ''malafide'' intentions and a 13-member bench was expected to announce its decision by Thursday.

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