No pressure on Supreme Court over reference: Wasi

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Wasi Zafar has dispelled the impression regarding any pressure on Supreme Court regarding the reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry saying government has full confidence on judicial system of country and opposition should also repose its confidence on judiciary.
"The lawyers of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry have objected Supreme Judicial Council, then they objected the bench and full court. It seems they were trying to get a verdict of their own choice," the minister said here on Thursday while addressing "Meet the Press" Programme of Rawalpindi Islamabad Press Club.
"We have left the matters on Supreme Court (SC), which would decide the case on merit and government would have no problem in accepting the court verdict regarding the presidential reference against Chief Justice," Wasi Zafar said.
He said entire bar associations were playing in the hands of politicians aiming to gain political mileage through this judicial issue. The ongoing judicial issue cannot be decided by holding demonstrations and provoking agitations.
Wasi Zafar attacked the opposition saying that opposition used force in making their strike calls a success. "Opposition is making hue and cry and I bet if they keep guns apart they would not succeed in holding strike in any market. People would not pay any heed to their calls, but they are frightened," he added.
The minister said every Pakistani should trust the apex court including the lawyers' community and opposition. "The final verdict of Supreme Court on the issue of the chief justice would be acceptable to the government and we expect the same response from the other side," he added.
Responding to a question regarding the affidavits from secret agency chiefs, the minister alleged that Iftikhar Chaudhry had pressurised intelligence agencies for delivering to his personal gains that was why he said the agencies filed their respective affidavits against the chief justice. The presidential reference is purely a judicial matter and the apex court would decide it impartially, therefore, it should not be politicised as the issue is going to be decided in public courts.