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Dubai: Crucial talks on the issue of the reinstatement of the deposed Pakistani judges continued in Dubai till late evening between top leaders of the ruling coalition partners.
Before entering the meeting, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif said the reinstatement of the judges was on top of his agenda. "There will be no democracy if there is no independent judiciary," he said.
Speaking to reporters on his arrival at the airport on Tuesday night, Sharif said that the reinstatement of the judges should be de-linked from the constitutional package which also includes a resolution to curtail the powers of the Pakistani president.
Sharif rushed to Dubai to salvage the talks which were held on Monday between his party president Shabaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.
The parties failed to reach a conclusion risking a split between the key ruling coalition partners.
Dozens of PML-N supporters led by Noorul Hassan Tanveer, chief coordinator of the PML-N for Middle East, and Chaudhry Mohammad Altaf, president of the party in the UAE, received him at the airport amid slogans "Long live Nawaz Sharif".
"I appeal to you all to pray for the success of the negotiation because it is very important for the future of Pakistan and democracy," he said to the people, who came to receive him. The party supporters also offered prayers for the success of the dialogue.
Lawyers in Pakistan have threatened to launch mass protests next month if the judges are not restored.
Sharif on Sunday sent his brother and party president Shahbaz Sharif and two other senior leaders including Chaudhry Nisar Ali, senior minister, and Khawja Asif, petroleum minister, to push Zardari to reinstate the judges by April 30 [yesterday], the agreed deadline between the two parties in the Murree declaration - an agreement signed by them before entering into a coalition.
The talks failed as Zardari did not want to accept any deadline pressure. Zardari said that reinstatement of the judges would be brought about through a constitutional package and not by following any deadline. He said he did not believe in counting days and would not come under any pressure. Differences have erupted in the coalition partners on the modalities of implementing the agreement.
Zardari insists he also wants to reinstate the judges, but wants to link their return to reforms that could narrow the powers of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and prevent judges from getting involved in politics.
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