Chief Justice Iftikhar chaudhry to Receive Medal of Freedom
As a Pakistani, I am truly proud and jubilant. Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, the name that today, stands synonymous for the real rule of law is to receive his Medal of Freedom from Harvard Law School and his lifetime membership from the New York Bar.
Please note that he is the 3rd person ever to receive this medal of honor, which was earlier given to Nelson Mandela and another supremem court judge of United States. WOW!. Also he is the 6th ever non-american to receive an honorary lifetime membership of the NewYork Bar!.
I will add up more to this post, just couldn’t resist the excitement to mention it here. leave you with this…….
Chief tere jaan nisaar, be shumaar be shumaar!
November 29th, 2008 at 5:59 am
It is a moment that we all should be proud of. The sad part is that the world is realizing what is working for us, but its a sad commentary on us that we cant. And this is not the first time we have done this. As Pakistanis its time we became more conscious of what we need as a nation and fight for it. Stay with the hope and keep moving forward. =)
December 16th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Isn’t he the same CJ who validated dictatorship of Musharraf and isn’t he the same person who abused his power to place his son Arsalan Chaudhry in FIA who failed CSS exam twice? Isn’t he the same CJ who has politicized the whole issue with lawyer campaigns?
January 31st, 2009 at 8:01 am
Its been many days since I wrote this comment and had I seen Atif’s reply earlier I would have responded earlier. But better late than never.
The problem with us is the culture of self-justice that we have in place, and are completely ok with it. Self justice? Kind of like self-medicine, when you decide what the ailment is and then decide what the medicine, or in this case, the punishment is. So if according to Atif, Justice Ifitkhar Chaudhry was wrong to validate Musharraf’s policies, Musharraf is RIGHT to in-validate him. Is this how it works? Or should we as Pakistanis, move to someplace, where we can look at the bigger picture to realise what is better for the country.
Firstly things have changed since 1999. Generally because the world is changing fast, and so is Pakistan. With more information, and more awareness, the people now have the power to respond more strongly. Now that they can, they are. And it shouldnt go to waste because they didnt the first time.
Secondly, people can change, and we should allow facts to speak for themselves. When the Chief Justice ‘validated’ musharraf’s regime, he did what most CJs before him had done, second to dictatorship, not superior as judiciary by right should be. But when the CJ said no to stepping down, thats the point history changed. Thats when he did something no one had done before him. He stood up. And he still stands. And some chose to have the strength to stand with him. Can we as a nation respect it? Do we have the power and the strength, and the time, to stand for something which will make the judiciary stronger than the executive in our country once and for all?
If you are waiting for leaders pure as prophets, this will be a wait very long indeed. And meanwhile Pakistan will most probably bleed to death.
January 31st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Thanks Nadia. I couldn’t agree more. Specially the part where you said, people can change.
History is filled with glorifying stories of people who changed themselves for better. Mahatma Gandhi once stole from his own father, for which he was regretful too, but do we really want to remember him for that?
Yes Iftikhar chaudry took oath under PCO as a judge, but guess what, he changed. Musharraf also took an oath to uphold the Constitution of Pakistan, and guess what, he changed too. people change.
February 16th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Well do you guys think that CJ is someone who is not accountable by any means? When Musharraf sacked him up, he must have had evidences (Naeem Bukhari revealed all the corruption done by Iftikhar and he was beaten up by the lawyers. Thats how these lawyers are.) on the table and Iftikhar was asked to resign. But Iftikhar refused and people assumed “Oh Wow what a man he is standing against a dictator”.
My point being here is that how come people can love a person and hate another for some reasons based on assumptions rather than facts. If you guys say that Iftikhar changed and now he is all innocent, can you define this change in details? What was Iftikhar doing in the Pajeros provided by politicians? Isn’t that some kind of politics being done here? Is that the change you guys are talking about Iftikhar going to be a politician (that sounds so valid though)?
I have one interesting read for you guys. Check out this article by Khalid Hassan.
http://www.khalidhasan.net/2008/11/30/postcard-usa-iftikhar-chaudhry-in-america/
February 16th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Of course the CJ is responsible. However what I suggest you to do, before we keep going in circles is get the facts straight. If Naeem Bukhari’s letter had any weight, if the government had even a bit of evidance against him, they wouldn’t have presented a load of crap, of which the main CRIME of the CJ was to use petrol for his personal use. On the 20th June, the larger bench threw off these allegations, so now, you or anyone wishing that CJ is / should be proved corrupt can chill out.
Iftikhar Chaudry was asked to resign, and he didnt. I challenge you to go and bring one example in Pakistan’s history, where someone refused to resign in front of a dictator.
And since you ask, “can you define this change in details? ” here I go
1. Stopping the loot mar sale of Steel Mills
2. Helping people find the missing persons, sold by Musharraf to America (read Musharraf’s Book, he admits himself)
3. Taking up case against all the elite, using the land for agricultural farms, to make lavish banglows…
I can go on.. but I guess it’s enough to make a point.
February 16th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Oh yeah the link you referred to. So this gentleman’s criteria to judge a person is to see how good a public speaker he/she is? What crap!
February 17th, 2009 at 12:37 am
Well, you can label anything crap which doesnt go the way. Someone missed here the proven corruption of Iftikhar messing up the whole FIA administration just to get his dumb son in the federal service.
Don’t be conclusive and judgmental. I am not denying anything good done by Iftikhar. He did made some good decisions specially Pak Steel one. There is no denying for that. My point have been the question does all that good moves qualify him to get away with his own corruption?
February 17th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Thanks. For the record, Neither am I trying to prove him an angel. I just want concrete proof instead of made up theories.
And your question as to if all of his good work qualifies him to do corruption? Then of course not, and when/if he’s proved corrupt, I won’t hesitate to criticize him, right here on this blog.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:11 am
atif there is a big problem with people like you.iftikhar chaudry was wrong in his past but he changed himself.he did some thinng extraordinary and it will be remmeberd in histroy.he became a hero
March 16th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Congratulations to all on restore of chief justice Ifthikar Muhammad Chaudary, now we can hope that implementation of law is on way,
March 19th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Iftikhar Ch, might have changed his behavior and corrupt attitude but why should we trust him…? we have much much better judges in Pkistan and we should give them an oppurtunity to show their qualities..A corrupt and oppurtunist judge,Iftikar…no way. He took money to run his show..he is a politician not a judge any more.
March 19th, 2009 at 8:26 am
@Brunoadams, why you should or should not trust him is a personal matter. If you need facts and proofs that he is trustable, than go and see the verdicts he has given since he became the CJ.
you said he took money, I wonder what are you basing this on? some self constructed theory? what facts do you have to support the argument that he took money? All allegants raised against him were thrown out by the supreme court on 20th July 2007.
Sure there are judges better than him. Justice wajeeh uddin is one example. He resigned and never took oath under PCO way back in 1999. But even he supports Iftikhar chaudry.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Pakistan is our beloved country and we will do everything to protect it.See the link below for more information.
Pakistan
February 15th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Sir can u mail me list of all the Good decisions made by honerable CJP.
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
What is my opinion on the current affairs of Pakistan is that the CJ and his companions just want to unstablize the government to get power to amend the constitution 1973 and to get them selves as the most powerful (personal with favoritism) organization in the country, what media is say over and over again is ”government want to over throw judiciary ” But what the things i and we can see is that the CJ and his companions (relatives in court, other judges and the personals who welcome Mr. Musharaf to be the head so that they could get them selves money and power, CJ’s political right hands PML N and murawar hassan and Imran Khan ”not knowing the single thing about what CJ is trying to do”) I will be saying here ” Judiciary want to over throw the government and judiciary want a war with government.
What is Ch. Iftakhar so called CJ (corrupted Jack) is trying to do is to get power of a President is his own hands and Mr. Nawaz Sh is dreaming that CJ will overthrow the government and give him the seat of PM to rule. HAHAHa what a dream … but tell me Mr Nawaz if he will get his dirty hand upon the government and throw it out than will CJ not be looking upon the CHAIR of Power for him self or atleast his other relatives or MOST LOVED (by him) companions????? will he be saying that ”COME COME Mr. NAWAZ or IMRAN or MUNAWAR HASSAN, i have a spare seat for you to rule???
NOW lets talk about MR ZARDARI (cuz in the language of our Media no talk or column is delicious without talking about him or blaming him as a root of all evil) You all people think that is was very poor man before his marriage with B.B. HE is one of a richest man in out Country, not after is marriage but before his marriage his had the same number of Bank Accounts and his money and land and other belongings both in and outside PAKISTAN. After spendig 11 years of jail without done something (other than being a son is law of Z.A.Bhutto) he is now a man with brilliant mind and politics and PPP under his leadership will rise. As you all can see that other parties are again becoming 1 against PPP like they did against Z.A.Bhutto, let me tell you that this is not Bhutto this is Mr. Zardari and who know what is on his mind now as you have seen how he handled nawaz and others
. This CJ has no chance against him as we are with Zaradri as Zardari is with Bhutto and Bhutto with PAKISTAN. THIS TYPE OF JUDICIARY WE DON’T WANT. AND LET ME TELL YOU ALL MONEY SUPPLIERS AND DEMANDERS THAT IS NOT THE AGE OF RESPECTED BHUTTO WE EDUCATED YOUTH WERE NOT THERE IN NUMBER TO HELP HIM, THIS IS THE AGE OF ZARDARI AND WE YOUTH, WE ARE HERE NOW TO HELP AND GIVE OUR LIVES, IF YOU AND SO CALLED CLEAN JUDICIARY TRY TO REPEAT THE HISTORY, (we remember the judicial murder of Z.A. Bhutto not forgotten) , WE WILL THROW YOU OUT OF THIS COUNTRY DON’T FORGET WE HAVE GIVEN YOU SEAT OF C.J. WE CAN GET IT BACK..
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:21 pm
wow, what an emotionally charged comment, Usman. I would say, chill out. No one’s an angel. I do agree with some parts of what you said though. Just a few disagreements are:
1. even if the judiciary wants, they cannot by law amend the constitution. they can only interpret it.
2. PPP, and including Ms. Bhutto, when she was alive, strongly supported the restoration of the judiciary.
3. I don’t care how rich Mr. Zardari was before or after he became the president. However, unlike what you said, I don’t think he has leadership skills par what Mr. Bhutto possessed.
4. No one has given the seat of the CJ to the judiciary. And i guess time has proved, no one can throw them out anymore.