Alvi evades query over giving oath to judge he filed reference against

ISLAMABAD: No ambassador/high commissioner or foreign diplomat was invited to the oath-taking ceremony of the country’s 29th Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Sunday.

The only exception was Spanish Ambassador José Antonio de Ory who represents the country the spouse of the new chief justice Serena Isa belongs to. She did grace the occasion. The ceremony took place on the 4th floor of the Presidency.

Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, federal ministers, governors, superior judges, Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Muneer and his spouse, Inter-Services Intelligence DG Lt Gen Naveed Ahmad Anjum and his wife were in attendance. The wife of the army chief was seen for the first time at such a function. First lady Samina Alvi, who never misses such gatherings, was conspicuous by her absence.

The guests stayed with the new chief justice for more than an hour and greeted him.

Prime Minister Anwaar Kakar, who had to leave for the United States in the morning to attend the United Nations General Assembly summit in New York, delayed his departure to attend the ceremony. He stayed for about half an hour and left the venue a bit early with the permission of Justice Qazi to catch his flight.

President Alvi did not respond to a query by a journalist as to what how he felt as he administered the oath to an honourable judge against whom he had filed a reference to deprive him of the office. When asked as when he would be going to Attock, he was dumbfounded and asked “What.” When the reporter repeated his question, the president hurriedly left the venue without responding to the query.