Pakistan Chief Justice Back at Work After Protests

ISLAMABAD Pakistan's chief justice was back at work Sunday following two years of protests over his ouster, while the U.S.-allied country's premier reached out to the opposition to further calm political turmoil. Hundreds of lawyers and activists who have agitated for Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry's return gathered outside the judge's home for a ceremonial flag-raising. They carried balloons and threw rose petals, calling the judge's reinstatement a milestone for democracy and a victory for the populace. The U.S. has expressed hope that Chaudhry's return will allow Pakistan to focus on battling the rising Al Qaida and Taliban violence along its border with Afghanistan. The top judge tackled routine duties Sunday such as approving panels of jurists and dates for hearings in criminal and civil cases, a court statement said. He was formally back in office after midnight following the Saturday retirement of the chief justice who had replaced him. Former President Pervez Musharraf deposed Chaudhry in 2007 after the independent-minded judge began examining cases that could have embarrassed the military ruler and threatened his claim to office. The justice's firing sparked a wave of lawyer-led protests that helped force Musharraf to allow elections that brought his foes to power.