ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may end up having two Supreme Courts to break the deadlock between the two ruling coalition parties over the restoration of higher court judges sacked last year by President Musharraf.
With the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) locked in a row over the judges, the formation of two Supreme Courts has been proposed, The News reported on Saturday. The proposal envisages a Supreme Court to be headed by deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to deal with criminal and civil cases and the other by incumbent chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar to look after constitutional matters. Dogars Supreme Court would also have all the suo motu powers.
Leaders of PML-N and PPP have failed to resolve the issue of restoration of sacked judges despite talks between PPPs Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in London.
The News, quoting sources close to the presidential camp, said the new court to be headed by justice Dogar, whom Musharraf and Zardari like, would be called the Federal Constitutional Court. It will be empowered to deal with all constitutional issues such as the interpretation of the constitution, the National Reconciliation Ordinance, and the legality of President Musharraf.
The court to be headed by Iftikhar Chaudhry would be a sort of appellate court on the high courts of the four provinces. But it is the court headed by Dogar that will handle issues that worry the presidency and Zardari. Dogars court would have seven judges. Chaudhrys would include the sacked judges.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Two_much_Pak_may_get_2_Supreme_Courts/articleshow/3028779.cms
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