Pak Supreme Court (SC) is to hear country’s ex Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s appeal against the conviction for the ‘hijacking’ a commercial jet plane by attempting to stop it to land at Karachi. The jet was carrying the former Pakistani Army chief Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

The court admitted that appeal for hearing yesterday and issued a notice to the federal administration asking the authority to give its views on this case. Some sources said the larger SC bench that was hearing the appeal against an order barring Sharif from contesting elections; the same bench would hear the appeal in his hijack case.

In the court Sharif’s advocate Khawaja Haris said the appeal in this hijacking case must not be filed on right time since Sharif was deported twice as the apex court had given its verdict in this case. He added Nawaz was both the prime minister and defense minister of the country at that time. So, he had the power to pass instructions to divert Pervez Musharraf’s airliner because of an emergency situation.

12, October 1999, Sharif had dismissed Musharraf from chief of army fearing a martial coup. He appointed Ziauddin Butt as new army chief. Butt was the head of Pak spy agency ISI. That time, Musharraf was in Colombo. He boarded a business flight home. Afterward, Sharif ordered at Karachi airport authority to be barricaded on the runway to prevent Musharraf’s aircraft from landing. But the armed forces disregarded his orders, and refused to agree Musharraf’s sacking. As a result, the military took over the airport and cleared all barricades.

Eventually, the aircraft landed with evidently just few minutes of fuel for flying. Instantaneously after his arrival Musharraf staged a successful bloodless coup, toppled the elected government and took the power.

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A Texas man arrested for failing to appear for jury duty and was released after 83 days in jail. The length of the detention was described as “unacceptable” by the judge.

34 year- old Douglas Maupin, a masonry contractor was arrested 15th February after police pulled him over for speeding. After that, police detained him on a 2003 warrant for failure to appear to jury duty. He was unable to pay his $1,500 bond and said his attempt to get a public defender was rebuffed by a jail clerk.

Chris Oldner, district judge said was unaware of Maupin’s detention until Friday, even though the case was assigned to his court. The judge who has signed 2003 warrant had retired. And the official said the case was assigned to the court of his replacement, but the offence did not fall under that court’s responsibility.

Oldner told the Morning News, “He should not have spent that much time. This is unacceptable, I don’t know why the process failed to notify us.”

Oldner also added that, Maupin should have been allowed to apply for a public defender. However, the 34 year-old Texas man said he just wanted his day in court.  The judge promised to investigate and said he was disappointed this had happened.

Yesterday a ceremony was held in Pakistani Supreme Court (SC) as newly appointed four judges took oath in their court office. Pak Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry overseen oath to recently appointed four judges of the apex court. Supreme Court Judges along with law officers of provincial and federal were present there. The oath program started with the recitation (as a tradition) from the Holy Quran.

Last Monday Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notice regarding the four new appointments of the judges of the apex court. Pakistan Supreme Court Registrar, Dr. Faqir Hussain announced the appointed judges’ name in the ceremony. The newly appointed four judges are

1. Justice (Retd) Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui
2. Justice (Retd) Ghulam Rabbani
3. Justice Syed Zahid Hussain
4. Justice (Retd) Muhammad Sair Ali

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A bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry rejected the administration’s application for an in-camera trial. The trial is for suspects involved in the young girl’s flogging in Swat. The eight-member bench ruled the facts must be brought before the mass people.

At the time of hearing the suo motu of flogging, the bench directed some officials to make a detailed report of the incident. The directed individuals are

1. The federal interior secretary
2. The NWFP inspector general of police
3. The NWFP chief secretary

On behalf of government Attorney-General Sardar Latif Khosa said the case is a sensitive issue. So, it demanded an in-camera hearing. However, Chief Justice rejected the proposal. On the other hand, the victim of flogging Chand Bibi didn’t appear before the court as it was opposite of Bibi’s traditional values. Her statement was presented before the magistrate through Khosa.