Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court was sworn in as acting Chief Justice of Pakistan in Karachi amid complete boycott by the Bar that refused to accept any acting chief justice in the presence of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry who has been suspended by President Musharraf.

In a brief chat with newsmen, Justice Rana said that all issues including the status of Justice Chaudhry, his objections to the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and the request for open trial dealt with according to the law and the constitution.

Rana vowed to restore the image of the judiciary and said the people would not be disappointed. “The nation would hear good news”, he added.

The outgoing acting chief justice Javed Iqbal administered the oath in a ceremony attended by Supreme Court judges, former chief justices and judges, district and session judges.

In Islamabad, law minister Wasi Zafar said the government has no objection to the plans by suspended chief justice Chaudhry to address a series of lawyers’ convention in major cities, apparently to sustain current agitation against his removal.

The Bar associations in Rawalpindi , Peshawar and Lahore have organized national conventions from March 28 beginning with Rawalpindi and invited Chaudhry to address them which he has accepted. A countrywide shut down of courts has been called on, April 3 when hearing in presidential reference against him resumes before the reconstituted SJC to be presided over by Justice Raja.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has announced to hold countrywide rallies in support of lawyers. Pakistan People’s Party of Benazir Bhutto and PML-N of Nawaz Sharif are dominant components of the alliance. Religious grouping, the Muttahida Majlise Amal, have also endorsed the call and promised to participate despite Bhutto’s reservations.

Meanwhile, in Lahore a judicial inquiry started on Saturday with the beating up of lawyers and journalists during a protest rally on March 17 in Lahore .

Justice Syed Zahid Hussain of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed all witnesses to submit their statements by March 26.

Acting Chief Justice Javaid Iqbal had taken suo motu notice of the matter and assigned Justice Syed Zahid Hussain to hold inquiry into the incident and fix the responsibility.