SC verdict on President’s election on 1st Nov
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—Justice Javed Iqbal, head of the 11-member bench of the Supreme Court Friday said that decision on petitions against the eligibility of General Pervez Musharraf for next term would be in accordance with the constitution and likely to be announced by Thursday next.
He said, while responding to questions after addressinginaugural session of the two-day workshop on “Delay Reduction Techniques cum Training the Trainers for District & SessionsJudges” organized by the Federal Judicial Academy and Access to Justice Programme jointly here.
About the indepentence of judiciary, he said, “The judiciary wasindependent, is independent and will remain independent; We as judges are only answerable to Allah Almighty and after that before their conscience, rather than before a particular group of people.” Regarding decisions of the judiciary, Justice Javed Iqbalsaid that decisions could not be made according to the whims of a particular group of people because “judiciary has to make decisions in accordance with the constitution and law”. The judiciary should not be subservient to any specific group and decisions not to be made in according to the wishes ofany particular group, he remarked.
A specific group is saying that they have supported thejudiciary and now the judiciary should support them in its decisionswhich is not good, Justice Javed, he said adding, we are thankful to people and the lawyer community for their contribution but such expectations are totally wrong that now thejudiciary should make decisions according to their wishes, hesaid.
Talking about oath of judges under PCO, Justice Javed Iqbal made it clear that “decisions are made according to the constitution” and a number of decisions including Steel Millscase-2006, case of Mian Shahbaz Sharif-2004, bail cancellation of Federal Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and many others were made bythe judges of the Supreme Court after taking oath under PCO.
Endorsing the views of Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday that they are no ashamed of making oath under PCO, Justice Javed said “If oath was not taken under PCO the courts were ought to beclosed.”