Islamabad - President General Pervez Musharraf Saturday appointed a news Chief Justice of Supreme Court after the former top judge refuse to abide by his order to declare a state of emergency and suspend the constitution of Pakistan. "Abdul Hamid Dogar has taken the oath as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court," said the state run Pakistan Television. The oath was administered by Musharraf himself.
The move was made amid fears that the top court under the leadership of Iftikhar Chaudhry would give a verdict against him on challenges to his victory in the controversial October 6 presidential vote.
Despite his win, the results were withheld until the final verdict on the orders of the Supreme Court, which was to decide whether he was eligible to be a candidate despite that the constitution did not allow a serving military officer to run for the office.
Saturday's presidential order prohibits the top court from giving a judgement against him. But there was no mention in the notification of the cases against him in the court.
The main charge against the court levelled here was that it was obstructing the fight against terrorism, perhaps for the consumption of international community that has urged him recently to refrain from such an action.
