Zia’s judges quit

Press, 27 March 1981, Page 5

Zia’s judges quit

-NZPA-Reuter Islamabad Pakistan’s Chief Justice and up to eight other senior judges lost their jobs yesterday when they refused to take a new oath of office giving President Mohammad Zia-Ul-Haq unfettered freedom to change the country’s Constitution. Chief Justice Anwar-Ul-Haq, who is no relation to the military ruler, told General Zia in a letter that his conscience and earlier Supreme Court decisions defining the limited legality of the country’s military Gov-

ernment prevented him from continuing in office. All judges in Pakistan were required yesterday to swear to uphold a constitutional order promulgated by General Zia on Wednesday giving him the right to amend Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution at will. Refusal to take the oath meant automatic dismissal. Court officials said two other Supreme Court judges joined the Chief Justice in refusing to take the oath and that at least six judges, two each from the High Courts of

Punjab, Sind, and Baluchistan provinces were absent from the swearing-in ceremonies. One of the Supreme Court judges was Judge Durab Patel, who was one of three to oppose the conviction and death sentence passed on the former Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. A Government spokesman said General Zia had appointed another Supreme Court judge, Mohammed Haleem, who also opposed the execution of Mr Bhutto, as Acting Chief Justice.