Musharraf’s decision was taken on March 9 after Chaudhry was accused of "misconduct and misuse of authority,”
The allegations were annulled by the Supreme Court, which ruled
that President Pervez Musharraf had no authority to suspend
Announcing the decision, Justice Kalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, who
was heading a 13-member bench adjudicating in the case, said the chief justice
had been reinstated from March 9. Ten of the total 13 judges favoured quashing
of charges against the top judge.
Hundreds of lawyers and political workers celebrated the
verdict outside the court with slogans "go Musharraf go."
"We congratulate the entire nation over the historical decision, which was made possible by the resolve and determination of the chief justice," Chaudhry's counsel Aitzaz Ahsan told reporters. "The expulsion would lead to expulsion of military from the politics."
After the Supreme Court decision was announced, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the government accepted the verdict and this was not the time “to claim victory or defeat.”
“I have always maintained that the decision of the Honourable Supreme Court must be accepted by all sections of the people, including the government itself,” he said in a statement.
The removal of Chaudhry ignited countrywide protests by the lawyers and political workers, posing the biggest challenge to Musharraf since he took over in a military coup in 1999.
The opposition had been claiming that the president ousted
Chaudhry in a bid to end any judicial hindrance to his expected five-year
re-election by the present parliament in next few months.