Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court today suspended the jail terms awarded to eight police and civil officials for manhandling deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in March after he was suspended by President Pervez Musharraf.

Admitting appeals filed by the officials against their conviction by the apex court on November 1, the new judges sworn in following the imposition of emergency said the sentences would remain suspended till further orders.

A three-member Bench headed by Justice Rana Bhagwandas, now under house arrest for refusing to endorse the emergency, had handed down prison terms ranging between 15 days and 30 days after holding the officials guilty of contempt of court. The court had then given them 15 days to appeal.

Among those sentenced were Khalid Pervez, the former chief commissioner of Islamabad, Chaudhary Iftikhar Ahmed, the former Inspector General of Police of the Capital, Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of the city and Police Inspector Rukhsar Mahdi. The officials had earlier been transferred from their posts.

They were found guilty of manhandling Chaudhry on March 13, four days after he was suspended by Musharraf on charges of misuse of office. Musharraf had cited increased meddling in affairs of the executive and legislature by the judiciary as one of the main reasons for imposing emergency.

He had said law enforcement officials had been "humiliated" by the apex court. Chaudhry, who too has refused to endorse the emergency, is currently under house arrest in the Capital.

Source : PTI