ISLAMABAD, January 26 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Wednesday appointed a new Supreme Court Chief Justice after the former chief justice refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) enforced by the military government.

Pakistan President Rafiq Tarar administered the oath of the new chief justice, Irshad Hasan Khan, and six other judges of the Supreme Court.

However, six out of the 13 judges of the apex court, including the former chief justice, Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, had refused to take oath under the PCO.

In an overnight major development, the administration of Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf announced that all judges of the Supreme Court, Federal Shariat Court and High Courts in the provinces will take new oath under the PCO.

The PCO, announced after the army suspended the constitution, is considered a move by the military government to seek the legality of the coup that took place last October.

The PCO says: "Notwithstanding the abeyance of the provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ... Pakistan shall subject to this Order and any other orders made by the Chief Executive, be governed, as nearly as may be, in accordance with the Constitution."

General Musharraf, who attended the oath taking ceremony on Wednesday morning along with federal ministers and other senior officials, said the decision to administer oath to the judges under the PCO was taken in the best national interest.

"Whatever has happened is in the interests of the country," he said in brief comments to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan after the ceremony.

Replying to a question on the refusal of swearing in of six judges, he said he reserved further comments on the issue. (Xinhua)

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