Islamabad: A million dollar question these days is: Will former Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry join politics and offer a new option to the people for the next general election?
Justice Chaudhry retired last week after eight years as top judge. He became an overnight hero after he locked horns with former military ruler Pervez Musharraf who later sacked him.
The former CJ was reinstated in 2009 by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led government and thereafter he announced some historic verdicts in cases against the government and ministers that made him popular among the masses.
Mr Chaudhry also showed to door to former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in 2012 after his conviction for contempt of court.
Legally, a two-year ban has to be completed for any retiring official before opting for a political ambition. But Mr Chaudhury has been a hero already, a role model inspiring confidence at the popular level. He is an impressive conversationist.
Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan, built that hope in the younger generation but has been a huge disappointment after the elections.
His Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) did form a provincial government in the Khyber Pukhtunkhaw province, but failed to fulfill expectations.
Discarding old practices, Mr Chaudhry concentrated on picking cases of his own choice to strike at the roots of corruption, bad governance, checking maladies in the administration which was more interested in killing merits and promoting their favourites.
His last three judgements were a severe warning to the Prime Minister to discharge his duties well, refrain from arbitrary price hikes on gas and electricity, and be a true public servant.
But the most important, and in all fairness historic in character, was the direct indictment of the army and its intelligence services.
