Pakistan Views

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain called on President Musharraf at the President House in Islamabad. “The president has consented that Chaudhry Shujaat will continue to lead the Pakistan Muslim League-Q”, sources said. The leader of opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Chaudhry Wajaat Hussain and senator Muhammad Ali Durrani also attended the meeting that was continued for three hours.The meeting was held amidst speculations of handing over the PML-Q top office to Pir Pagara or Hamid Nasir Chattha.The president had also met Hamid Nasir Chattha on Wednesday.

An election tribunal on Thursday accepted the nomination papers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has filed nomination papers to contest by-election from NA-123, Lahore, while party president Shahbaz Sharif filed papers for PP-154.The nomination papers of PML-N covering candidate Hamza Shahbaz were also accepted by the tribunal.Talking to media lawyer of Nawaz Sharif, Naseer Bhutta said that the additional session Judge Chaudhry Badaruddin rejects all allegations against Nawaz Sharif. Bhutta said the decision is a big blow to establishment. We will contest any appeal against the tribunal he added.

The government has submitted a report in Sindh High Court regarding withdrawal of a case against Asif Ali Zardari from a London court.Deputy Attorney General Rizwan Ahmed Siddiqui has submitted report regarding withdrawal of the Surrey Palace case before a division bench of SHC today.It was the last case against Asif Zardari withdrawn by the government of Pakistan from a foreign court.The counsels of Zardari prayed the court for some period to examine the report. The court granted their plea and adjourned the hearing for an unspecified period. The government had submitted a report in the court in last hearing regarding withdrawal of a money laundering case against Asif Ali Zardari from a Swiss court.

Former Federal Minister Salmaan Taseer has been appointed as new Governor of Punjab in place of Lt. Gen.® Khalid Maqbool.
According to sources, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari approved Taseer’s name for the Governorship of Punjab in place of Lt. Gen. ® Khalid Maqbool in a high level meeting.
The change is being seen as a step to further boost PPP’s role in the Punjab politics. Salmaan Taseer will be sworn-in as Governor on Saturday.

The Head of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Mian Nawaz Sharif has said conspiracy activities are being undertaken to weaken democracy in the country but he will do utmost to foil any such attempts against PPP government. In an exclusive interview in Geo News program Capital Talk, Sharif said PML-N joined government at the promise that judges would be reinstated in 30 days. He said the Murree declaration also favored restoration of judges through a resolution. Nawaz Sharif said political reconciliation should be based on some principle and PML-N would support political parties and lawyers in their struggle to reinstate judiciary. He said Punjab government would not become a barrier in the struggle to restore judiciary and he would also invite Asif Zardari to sit in the “Judicial Bus”.

Central leader of PML-N Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Wednesday said that his party will not indulge in any move to destabilize the PPP government at centre. In a telephonic interview with private TV he however said that if the PML-N is pushed to sit in opposition benches the leadership of the party is ready to play this role in democratic manners. He said that it has been the established view point of the PML-N leadership from day one that it is not striving to reach the power. The party has been doing the politics of issue he said adding it will not hesitate for a moment to sit on opposition benches if so required.He said the PML-N will not destabilize the system neither it will indulge in any conspiracy to topple the PPP government at centre either it remains in the coalition or sits in opposition benches.Hashmi said that his party will play a positive political role even if it goes into opposition.

Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said his government does not need support from former premier Nawaz Sharif but he wants to keep him in the coalition under the policy of national reconciliation.
“We have majority (in the assembly) even without him but I am not ready to leave Mian Sahib (Sharif),” he told a news conference after a meeting of his party’s main decision making bodies. The veiled ‘cool down’ message to Nawaz came as he hardened stance on judges’ reinstatement and rumours suggested a hidden hand was now active to form new alliances.
The PPP top leader deflected a question whether he foresaw the complete breakdown of coalition with Sharif and would he be willing to ally himself with pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). “I will always follow the policy of reconciliation,” he answered without dropping any hint on plans to change partners. Media reports suggested efforts were underway to change heads at PML-Q to make it acceptable for Zardari.
Zardari chaired a crucial meeting of PPP’s central executive committee (CEC) and the federal council (FC) to discuss how the party should react to Sharif’s decision of quitting the federal cabinet. Ministers from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Tuesday resigned after both disagreed on how their coalition government should reinstate judges President Pervez Musharraf removed late last year.
Though Nawaz insisted his party would still be supporting the PPP government, the decision is being generally perceived as breakup of a fragile collaboration between two archrivals of the past.
“I am not looking at minus Mian Sahib position. I am looking at plus Mian Sahib position,” he told media persons. Zardari said his party would not withdraw support to PML-N government in Punjab. He expressed confidence he would be able to persuade Sharif for rejoining the cabinet.
The slots PML-N ministers vacated were not filled by the PPP and there were indications from both sides that things would return to original positions. Zardari said he was still committed to Bhurban Declaration with Nawaz to reinstate judges but there was difference on how to do that.
The PPP co-chairperson said he was against all steps President Pervez Musharraf took with the proclamation of emergency late last year but did not want to commit another mistake to correct one. He defended his frequent meetings with the United States top diplomats including ambassador to Islamabad, saying their support helped Pakistan get rid of dictatorship.
APP ADDS: Zardari said that a resolution is being prepared and will be presented in joint session of the parliament for the reinstatement of deposed judges. He said that Nawaz Sharif wanted reinstatement of the judges through a notification, but his legal team was of view that any notification and de-notification would lead to constitutional crisis, which they want to avoid. He said that sitting judges might issue stay order against any notification which would create new constitutional crisis.
Zardari said that JUI-F, MQM, ANP and PML-N held their own opinion about judges’ issue, adding they have disagreement with PLM-N on one point. He said that movement for reinstatement of judges was started by PPP and party’s workers sacrificed their lives for the cause.
He said that PPP wanted to get revenge of martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto in the shape of bringing about a change in the system. “Democracy is the best revenge,” he repeated the words of Benazir Bhutto. Zardari said that reconciliation process was continuing with all political parties and even with those who cut his tongue and put him behind the bars for several years.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was given briefing on defence and operational preparedness of Pak Army on his visit to General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi Wednesday morning.
Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaque Pervez Kyani received the prime minister on his arrival at the GHQ. Minister of Defence Ahmed Mukhtar was also accompanied with the prime minister.

The scrutiny of nomination papers for bye-elections on 38 seats of the national and provincial assemblies was underway on Wednesday.The Returning Officer has reserved his verdict over objections against nomination of Mian Nawaz Sharif in NA 123 in Lahore. PML-Q candidate in NA-123 Akhlaq Guddu and independent candidate Noor Illahi had challenged the nomination papers of Mian Nawaz Sharif. They filed objection on the nomination papers of Nawaz Sharif alleging that he was convicted in hijacking and has been a bank defaulter, therefore, he should be declared as disqualified. The Returning Officer has reserved verdict on the matter.

Central leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Hafiz Hussain Ahmed has said that deposed judges are not being restored in a bid to save the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
Talking to journalists in Cheecha Watani Hafiz Hussain said Muslim League-N would not leave the coalition despite quitting the federal government.
He claimed that Asif Zardari had softened his stance in London talks over the deposed judges issue but US official Richard Boucher’s arrival ended that flexibility.