|
Islamabad: Pakistan's ruling coalition yesterday reiterated its commitment to reinstate deposed judges, but a statement issued after a meeting of its top leaders did not say when and how this would be done.
Co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif and head of Awami National Party Asfandyar Wali attended the crucial meeting.
The talks focused on restoration of scores of judges President Pervez Musharraf sacked in November last year under a state of emergency, war on terrorism and "conspiracies" against the new democratic government.
The statement said the leaders reaffirmed that the sacked judges would be reinstated in line with the commitment made in a joint declaration by Sharif and Zardari in March.
The declaration pledged to reinstate the judges through parliamentary resolution within 30 days - a deadline expiring on April 30 - after the formation of the government.
Sources said the PML-N leader presented a draft resolution and the participants agreed to finalise a mode for the judges' reinstatement at another meeting to be held soon.
Package
Ahead of the meeting PPP officials had indicated that the party was in favour of a constitutional package to restore the judges and also introduce judicial reforms, particularly a procedure for the appointment of judges of superior courts through parliament.
PML-N leaders have frequently asserted that their party was against linking the reinstatement of the judges to a package or any plan to reinstate them minus deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
Sources in the PML-N said the party leadership had won the people's mandate because of its uncompromising stand for the revival of the judiciary.
"We shall not budge an inch from our position," a party leader said.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman told reporters after the meeting that the coalition leadership remained "strongly committed" to reinstating the judges in accordance with the March declaration. She said that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and that the government would follow the path of negotiations with those militants who lay down arms.
Zardari was assisted at the meeting by Mian Raza Rabbani, Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sherry Rehman and Farhatullah Babar. Sharif had with him Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal. Rehman said the government would expose the anti-democratic elements involved in conspiracies against the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDA) government.
In this connection the leaders expressed concern over the recent incidents of violence in Karachi and other places and resolved to foil the intrigues of the anti-democratic forces with the help of the people.
Meanwhile, the deposed chief justice addressed lawyers of Malir bar in Karachi by telephone to condole the killing some lawyers in violent disturbances in Karachi last week.
Chaudhry praised the lawyer community for their movement for independence of the judiciary and said the country was on the threshold of rule of law and constitution.
|
