Proud pakistani.... Dr.Farrukh Salim

Karbala, Muharram 10, 61 AH -- Hussain ibne Ali ibne Abi Talib (RA) refused to pledge allegiance to Dictator Yazid ibne Mu'awiyah ibne Abi Sufyan. Sayyid al-Shuhada (RA) "gave his head but not his hand of allegiance in the hand of Yazid (this according to Shah Moinuddin Chishty Ajmeri)." The Sayyid of the youth of Paradise was beheaded by Shimr Ibne Thil-Jawshan (a soldier in the Ummayad army that was led by Umar ibne Sa'ad).

Dateline: Kufa, 148 AH -- Imam Al-azam Abu Hanifa refused to become Dictator Abu Ja'far al-Mansur's Qazi Al-Qazat (chief judge). Al-Mansur imprisoned Abu Hanifa and tortured him to death (when al-Mansur invited Abu Hanifa to become his chief judge, Abu Hanifa sent a message back to the monarch that he did not consider himself capable for the post. Al-Mansur told Abu Hanifa that he was lying and Abu Hanifa shot back: "I rest my case. If I am a liar then how can I become the chief judge?" Al-Mansur was furious at Abu Hanifa's reply).

Dateline: Islamabad, Safar 20, 1428 AH – Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry refused to resign on orders of Dictator President General Pervez Musharraf. The chief justice was suspended, his family imprisoned within the four walls of his house.

Dateline: Islamabad, Rabi-ul-Awwal 18, 1430 -- Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the restoration of all the deposed judges including Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

There are 1.5 billion Muslims and 57 Muslim-majority nation-states. Imagine; in the past 1,430 years of Islamic history the first Muslim who refused to bow down to a dictator was Sayyid al-Shuhada Hussain ibne Ali ibne Abi Talib (RA). Eighty-seven years later, the second Muslim to bow down to a dictator was Imam Al-azam Abu Hanifa. One thousand two hundred and eighty years later came a Pakistani named Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

In 1986, peoples' power -- absolutely peaceful, non-violent and prayerful -- brought down a stubbornly corrupt Filipino system of governance. In 1989, peoples' power proved its muscle in Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania (all peaceful except for in Romania where the military unexpectedly changed sides and allowed Nicolae Ceausescu's summary execution). People's power in Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Serbia and Ukraine used a colour or a flower as a symbol but never ever has a chief justice been used as the rallying cry.

On March 24, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry shall sit in Court Room No 1 and begin dispensing justice. To be certain, on March 25, there aren't going to be canals of milk and honey all over 778,720 square kilometres of land area we call Pakistan. Justice Chaudhry shall be dispensing justice; neither electricity nor atta or pani. And that is so because any tripodal government rests on the executive, parliament and the judiciary. The judiciary merely dispenses justice and keeps the executive and parliament within the bounds of the constitution. Bijli, atta and pani -- plus law and order -- are part of the social contract between the elected politicians and the 172 million Pakistanis.

For the chief justice, he would have to hold the executive and parliament accountable (both consider themselves above accountability). The Lord Chief Justice of Pakistan would have to protect fundamental rights plus steer clear of all purely political quarrels.

Proud to be a Pakistani because we produced the third Muslim in the history of Islam who said 'no' to a dictator. Proud to be a Pakistani because ours has been the very first absolutely non-violent mass movement within the world of Islam that successfully met its objective. Proud to be a Pakistani now that we can export our chattels of judicial independence to our brethren in other 57 Muslim-majority states. Proud that we can be the source of glitter to Muslims in other countries. Proud that our civil society has reinvented hope. Proud at the tenacity of our lawyers. Proud at the strength of our journalists. Proud at the resolve of our media.

Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry restored as Chief Justice of Pakistan...A Great Success

In a historic address to the nation, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced on Monday to restore the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.The prime minister also pledged that the government would steer the country out of the numerous domestic and international challenges facing it. The prime minister said that after consultations with all political forces of the country and President Asif Ali Zardari, the government has decided to restore all deposed judges including Justice Iftikahr Muhammad Chaudhry as Chief Justice of Pakistan who will assume charge on March 21. The current Chef Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar retires on March 21. "I announce today that Iftikhar Chaudhry and all other deposed judges will be reinstated from March 21," he said in his televised address to the nation. The current supreme court chief justice will retire on that date, allowing Chaudhry to take over, the premier said. He said that a notification for the reinstatement of the deposed chief justice would also be issued. The prime minister urged all the political forces and lawyers to work for the solidarity and welfare of the country. Gilani said the country is standing at a critical moment. He said that no country could make progress without political tolerance and co-existence.Speaking about the struggle for the independence of judiciary, the PM said that the lawyers and the PPP had been together for the cause of justice and democracy.He said that Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto actively participated in the lawyers struggle for the restoration of deposed judges. “Benazir Bhutto wanted free judiciary and supremacy of the constitution and she had promised for his restoration. PPP respects the educated segment of the society”, Gilani added.Gilani said the federal government would file a review petition against the disqualification of the Sharif brothers. “I invite Sharif brothers to come forward to work together in the light of the Charter of democracy