Pak President Leghari resigns
Pakistan President Farooq Ahmed Leghari resigned today ending the two-week political crisis, during which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief accused him and Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah of violation of the constitution.
The resignation followed a day of fast-paced developments which witnessed a three-judge bench of the supreme court, headed by Shah, restoring presidential powers to restore the government and dissolve the national assembly, only to be overruled by a 10-member bench a little later.
The 10-member bench also relieved the chief justice of all his judicial and administrative responsibilities and appointed another judge, Ajmal Mian, as the acting chief justice, claiming Shah was wrongly promoted to chief justice, ahead of other more senior judges.
An important factor in all the negotiations was army chief General Jehangir Karamat who shuttled between the president and prime minister trying to broker a solution till the president resigned. Karamat, it is believed, did not want Pakistan's parliament dissolved.
The crisis actually began with a squabble between the prime minister and the chief justice over the appointment of five new judges, expanding to 17 the strength of the supreme court. The president stepped in on the side of Shah.
Shah won that round, getting the prime minister to apologise. But by then he had already resurrected corruption charges against Sharief and struck down other legislation passed by parliament. He also charged the prime minister with contempt of court and stymied attempts by Sharief to change the laws in his favour.
Underlying the current chaos in Pakistan were fears that the army may step in to take control in Pakistan, where it has ruled for 25 of its 50-year history. But Karamat chose only to be a mediator this time.
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