In the hands of a lesser political bloodhound, the matter might have been simply a court case to decide the fate of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.In the hands of Aitzaz Ahsan, one of the country’s best known lawyer-politicians, the case of the Chief Justice was rendered a case of justice under military rule. What could have been no more than a polite exchange of arcane constitutional arguments became over the last four months a political finger in the eye of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was removed by the President in March on charges of misconduct. Chaudhry appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled a week ago that Musharraf’s action was illegal, and restored him to the post.As the principal counsel for the Chief Justice, Ahsan not only led the legal challenge but also saw to it that it fueled a popular protest movement. Playing chauffeur, Ahsan drove Chaudhry on spirited cavalcades through some of Pakistan’s largest cities. Lawyers in black piled on top of Ahsan’s Mitsubishi Pajero, shouting slogans for judicial independence. The streets throbbed with supporters, including cadres from Ahsan’s Pakistan People’s Party. The road shows were part of a careful calculation, one designed to bring maximum pressure on Musharraf. “It had to be a forensic exercise,” Ahsan said a few days after his victory, in an interview. “To win the people we had to go the hustings, but we could lose the judges that way. Judges are conservative. They don’t want the CJ addressing rallies. They would think he wasn’t one of them.” Ahsan made sure Chaudhry addressed mainly lawyers’ congregations. In court, he steered clear of political arguments, until the day before the verdict, when he threatened to take the President and his intelligence chiefs to court if the bench failed to decide for the CJ. The SC did just that. And dancing broke out in the streets. “It’s certainly a moment for me of great humility,” Ahsan said. Gloating, Ahsan well knows, does not look good in politics.The morning of the interview, the phone did not stop ringing with calls of congratulations. Ahsan, in short sleeves and navy blue pants, growled graciously into the handset, smiling, thanking. Raising a finger, he said he did not like to be photographed while on the phone. That is how movie stars in Pakistan are often photographed, he said.Chaudhry’s supporters said that he had been suspended because he potentially threatened Musharraf’s bid to remain army chief and seek re-election as President when his term expires this year. That bid was expected to be challenged in the SC, where Chaudhry had acquired a reputation as anything but pliant. The opposition vows to challenge it still. And the lawyers, Ahsan says, will again rise up.“The day Musharraf announces he is standing for re-election, the bars are going to strike, the courts are going to close across Pakistan, and lawyers are going to be on the street,” he said.
