ISAMABAD: PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has ruled out playing any role in resolution of the judicial crisis.

"I feel this but I have not conveyed it to the government as yet," he said, when this correspondent sought his comments on a report. According to the report, Shujaat told his allies the other day that he would help the government in resolving Jamia Hafsa issue but extend no cooperation in resolution of the judicial crisis.

The reason for Shujaat's reluctance to help the government resolve the crisis emerged the very first day the trouble began ie March 9. The ruling party chief, who had hosted a dinner-reception for the outgoing US Ambassador, Ryan Crocker, at the Punjab House that day, rushed to the residence of Justice Chaudhry, in a damage-control exercise. He did that when the PM Secretariat sought his intervention in a bid to resolve the crisis hours after a meeting at the Army House where the chief justice was forced to resign but refused.

Although he had formally secured permission from an intelligence agency for this meeting, the officials' unwise gesture foiled efforts he was making to broker a face-saving patch-up. Shujaat had found Justice Chaudhry very accommodating in conversation.

While quoting Shujaat, a source said that Justice Chaudhry had felt hurt by the course of action that was adopted to force him to resign. But as the discussions were progressing, the agency officials kept working on their agenda to fully "˜disarm' the chief justice. Ignoring the government's key trouble-shooter' s presence in the Chief Justice House, they snapped telephone connections and asked Justice Chaudhry's family to hand over the keys of all the vehicles under their use.

Justice Chaudhry's son, Dr Arsalan, rushed into the drawingroom and told his father about the fresh directive he had received from the officials. It stunned both of them "” Justice Chaudhry and Chaudhry Shujaat.

Sources, close to the ruling party chief, say Shujaat had felt very embarrassed over this untimely demand of the security officials. And the demand was being made in his presence, thus putting his credibility and role under question.

He had immediately phoned Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to ask about the reason behind this behaviour when he was doing all this at the behest of the government. Shaukat had promised to do something but he could not.

Shujaat later stood up and thanked Justice Chaudhry. "I am happy with you and the way you honoured me. I promise you not to come again at the behest of the government," Shujaat has been quoted as telling Justice Chaudhry in his concluding remarks.

According to the sources, Shujaat categorically told the government that he would not offer his role any more in this issue and that he had made a commitment to Justice Chaudhry in this regard.

He did not speak on the issue during Sunday's meeting of Central Working Committee held in the PM House. Insiders say the top government officials are upset over the judicial crisis that continues to widen with the passage of time.

National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain has also been heard as saying

that he had never seen President Musharraf so disturbed as he is in wake of the judicial crisis. Amir Hussain's remarks came after Musharraf's address in Sialkot, where he had admitted that he had been badly defamed over the chief justice issue.

Shujaat has distanced himself from the ongoing crisis afterwards, it has been reliably learnt. His statement that he did not meddle in the affairs of the judiciary and the Army, was against the backdrop of this incident, officials said.