The lawyers’ leader says the review petition against Sharif brothers’ disqualification can only be heard by the judges who gave the verdict as per the SC rules and CJP Iftikhar could not hear it. - Online photo by Nadeem Ijaz.

LAHORE: Lawyers’ leader Aitzaz Ahsan on Monday hoped that the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will neither hear the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case, nor review the Sharifs’ disqualification petition as required under the parameters of judicial impartiality.

Aitzaz said that the beneficiaries of NRO were part of the movement against Justice Iftikhar and ‘we hope he would not hear the case against NRO himself in the larger interest of justice.’

Justice Iftikhar had also not heard the case against Musharraf’s second presidential election, he added.

Ahsan said that the reinstatement of deposed judges, including CJP Iftikhar, has fulfilled the promise that late Benazir Bhutto had made to the nation, albeit with a great delay. He also hoped the Pakistan People’s Party government would extend all cooperation to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry

Congratulating the legal fraternity and political activists, he said: ‘I congratulate all those who suffered financial and personal losses in the two-years of the movement, including the media.’

He hoped Justice Iftikhar would not continue the policies of what he called Dogar’s court, and deliver justice irrespective of all personal grudges. To another query about the review petition against Sharif brothers’ disqualification, the lawyers’ leader said the review petition would only be heard by the judges who gave the disqualification verdict as per the SC rules and Chief Justice Iftikhar could not hear it.

He also dispelled the impression that the restored judges would have to take a fresh oath of their offices.