Islamabad: Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, who was sacked as the chief justice of Pakistan in November 2007 by then president Pervez Musharraf, resumed charge of the office early on Sunday.
Right after taking charge, Chaudhry approved the roster of the apex court and constituted five benches for the principal as well as other seats, Geo TV reported, citing a statement from the Supreme Court.
Chaudhry, accompanied by members of the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association and lawyers, will return to work on Tuesday, the report said.
The Pakistan government reinstated Chaudhry after a lawyers' protest led by opposition leader Nawaz Sharif threatened to spin out of control a week ago.
Then, the Pakistani media had been full of speculation about strains in relations between the powerful army and the civilian government in that country and the political standoff between President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif that has fuelled reports about a possible military coup in Pakistan.
Defying a government ban, Sharif's supporters had joined protesting lawyers in their 'long march' to Islamabad to demand the reinstatement of deposed Supreme Court Chief
Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary and other judges.
The political climate had worsened after Zardari had sacked the government of then Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif following the Supreme Court's disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and his brother over old charges of corruption.
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