Pls don't look at this issue as Zardari vs. Iftikhar Ch. but look at this issue as Judiciary vs. the Excevutive.
Our constitution has outlined the process:
177. Appointment of Supreme Court Judges.
(1) The Chief Justice of Pakistan shall be appointed by the President, and each of the other
Judges shall be appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice.
[Chapter 2: The Supreme Court of Pakistan] of [Part VII: The Judicature]
It is however not clear when CJP and President don't agree on an appointment. Now lets look at the words used,
shall be appointed by the President
The emphasis here is that executive SHALL appoint and offcourse after consultation with the CJP.
It could have been
Judges shall be appointed by the President in concurrence with the advice of the Chief Justice
OR, It could have been
Judges shall be appointed by the President as per the recoomendation of the Chief Justice
There is a purpose to use the verbiage used in Article 177 and that is to give exceutive more power than the judiciary.
Please look at Article 206:
[206 Resignation,
(1)] A Judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court may resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the President.
[Chapter 4: General Provisions Relating to The Judicature] of [Part VII: The Judicature]
A judge of the SC is to address his resignation to the President. WHY? Because he is the one who holds the power to appoint the judge and also to accept a resignation. CJP has the power to recommend but not to enforce a recommendation.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
[24]
[48. President to act on advice, etc.
(1) In the exercise of his functions, the President shall act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet [25][or the Prime Minister].
[26][Provided that the President may require the Cabinet or as the case may be, the Prime Minister to reconsider such advice, either generally or otherwise, and the President shall act in accordance with the advice tendered after such reconsideration.]
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (1), the President shall act in his discretion in respect of any matter in respect of which he is empowered by the Constitution to do so [26A][and the validity of anything done by the President in his discretion shall not be called in question on any ground whatsoever].
[26B]
(4) The question whether any, and if so what, advice was tendered to the President by the Cabinet, the Prime Minister, a Minister or Minister of State shall not be inquired into in, or by, any court, tribunal or other authority.
(5) Where the President dissolves the National Assembly, he shall, in his discretion,:
(a) appoint a date, not later than [26C] [ninety] days from the date of the dissolution, for the holding of a general election to the Assembly; and
(b) appoint a care-taker Cabinet.
(6) If, at any time, the President, in his discretion, or on the advice of the Prime Minister, considers that it is desirable that any matter of national importance should be referred to a referendum, the President may cause the matter to be referred to a referendum in the form of a question that is capable of being answered either by "Yes" or "No".
(7) An act of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) may lay down the procedure for the holding of a referendum and the compiling and consolidation of the result of a referendum.]
[Chapter 1: The President] of [Part III: The Federation of Pakistan]
The above article further clarifies that the President has to act on advise of the Parliament but it doesn't say the CJP or the SCoP.
I want Zardari out but through proper channel and certainly not by the Judiciary.