While the situation has apparently defused, the continuing trust deficit between the executive and judiciary is, however, not over as in the wake of the National Assembly session summoned for Monday, in which Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is likely to take the House into confidence over the situation, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has formed only three two-member benches of the Supreme Court – two for Islamabad and one for the Karachi branch registries – while the remaining judges have been advised to stay in Islamabad. Sources told Pakistan Today on Friday that the judges had been asked to remain in Islamabad just to respond and devise a strategy in response to what came from parliament. They said if parliament took any unconstitutional steps against the judiciary, the Supreme Court would respond to it, thus the benches constituted for the Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta registries were suspended and the judges were asked to remain in Islamabad. The sources also claimed that a cause list was made on Friday noon in which various benches were constituted for Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta branch registries, however the list was cancelled on Friday evening and the judges were advised to ensure their presence in Islamabad. However, when contacted, a senior official of the Supreme Court rejected the claim, saying that there was no such move. He said the judges were working voluntarily as there were summer vacations in the Supreme Court. He said now the judges wanted to avail holidays turn by turn, thus only three benches were constituted for next week.
