ISLAMABAD: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has lauded the verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and said that he had assured the nation in this regard in public gatherings.

Talking to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, federal ministers and prominent PML leaders, who called on him at the his Camp Office in Rawalpindi on Friday the president said that he had no confrontation with the chief Justice and he had merely fulfilled his constitutional responsibilities by dispatching the reference against him.

Sources told Online that Musharraf told the participants of the meeting that he strongly believed in the stability of institutions. The sources further said that the prime minister and PML leaders assured the president of upholding the prestige of the apex court and said the government would not show any negative reaction which might aggravate the situation. The government has decided not to appeal against the verdict, the sources said.

Maj Gen (retd) Rashid Qureshi, the spokesman for President Gen Pervez Musharraf also said the judgement of the Supreme Court would be honoured, respected and adhered to. When asked for the president’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s judgement, the president’s spokesman told APP that the president had stated earlier that any judgement the Supreme Court arrived at would be honoured, respected and adhered to.

Asim Yasin adds: Reacting to the Supreme Court’s judgement, which set aside the presidential reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and reinstated him to the august office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz made it clear that the government accepted the court’s verdict in letter and spirit.

He urged all the sections of society to accept and respect the apex court’s judgment as "word of the courts is always upheld in a democratic society". "The nation must accept the verdict with grace and dignity as doing so is reflective of a mature and law-abiding nation." The prime minister set aside the impression that the judgment reflected the government’s defeat. "This is not the time to claim victory or defeat," he said. The Constitution and the law have prevailed and must prevail at all times. It is time for unity and cohesion in all segments of society."

About strengthening of democratic process in the country, the prime minister said, " We should all look ahead towards forthcoming elections scheduled for later this year and prepare ourselves to fully participate in the forthcoming democratic process."