Pakistan Views

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withdrawal of the Surrey Palace case before a division bench of SHC today.It was the last case against Asif Zardari withdrawn by the government of Pakistan from a foreign court.The counsels of Zardari prayed the court for some period to examine the report.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.

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.

Nine federal ministers of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Tuesday submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani. The prime minister refused to accept the resignations and said that the decision on the matter will be made after return of Asif Ali Zardari to home.“The government needs your advice and guidance,” Gilani told PML-N ministers. Earlier, nine PML-N ministers Khwaja Saad Rafique, Ishaq Dar, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Tehmina Daulatana, Khwaja Asif, Chaudhry Nisar, Ahsan Iqbal and Sardar Mehtab Khan reached Prime Minister House and submitted their written resignations to the prime minister.

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari arrived here early on wednesday, after a short visit to the United Kingdom.
Replying to a question of mediaman, Zardari said that PML-N resignations matter would be taken into consideration at PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC), meeting at Zardari house today.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zarddari Monday said that his party will keep up its support for Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) in Punjab and no new ministers would be brought in place of those N-league ministers who have given resignation. PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said he would wait for the comeback of the friends from Muslim League-N in the cabinet, adding their (N-League’s) cabinet seats will be kept vacant. Zardari averred the impeachment of the President Pervez Musharraf only after getting two-third majority. PPP leader said he is not willing to go for the option of cooperation from Q-League.Punjab government cannot hold together without PPP, he maintained.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman has said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led government wants to take along all allied parties. She said the government would not fill the portfolios vacated by the PML-N Ministers except the Minister for Finance. “Finance is an important portfolio to run daily national business, therefore the government would assign it to any suitable person. Otherwise we intended not to include our members in the cabinet,” Sherry told media persons at the Parliament House.
She also stated that PPP would not field its candidates against Mian Nawaz Sharif and other PML (N) leaders during the upcoming by-polls as her party is committed to maintain the reconciliation culture. In reply to a question, Sherry said, PPP still stands by its pledge to restore pre-November 3, 2007 judiciary under framework of Bhurban Accord, however, she said, the matter should not be hyped to crisis through deadlines.

Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Zardari on Monday said that the name of new finance minister will be announced on Tuesday, a private TV channel reported. However, Asif Zardari did not reveal the name of the new finance minister.

A deadline for coalition partners to reinstate judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf was expected to pass on Monday, rekindling speculation the government might collapse.The restoration of the judges has monopolised the attention of the main coalition partners, the party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and that of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, since they won a February 18 election.The failure of the coalition partners to agree on restoring the judges could lead to the collapse of their government. The London talks between PPP and PML-N on resolving the thorny issue of restoring judiciary have ended in a deadlock here on Sunday with the coalition government now on the verge of collapse.The ruling coalition held further intense negotiations in their last ditch efforts to resolve the contentious issue but achieved no breakthrough with each side refusing to budge from its stated position.After two days of fruitless talks in the British capital, the leaders of the two parties entered into the third day still locked into intense negotiations in a bid to break the impasse that has threatened to break-up the two months old coalition government. The third round of negotiations were held soon after the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher met both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari during his stop-over in London on his way home from a Bangladesh visit.The fresh round involved Shahbaz Sharif and Khawaja Muhammad Asif from PML-N side while Rahman Malik and Hussein Haqqani represented PPP. Emerging from the talks, the respected leaders spoke of their failure to reach a consensus on the key question of modalities of reinstating the sacked judges of the Supreme Court.”It looks now it will be missed,” Minister of Education Ahsan Iqbal, who is a top official of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) party, said on Sunday of the Monday deadline. “If the deadline is not met then the PML-N will be forced to review its decision to stay in the cabinet,” he said.Nawaz was due to return to Pakistan on Monday and party leaders would meet later in the day, he said.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman, Asif Ali Zardari has said that he couldn’t do another illegal act for setting the one illegal work right and added that the compromise and conciliation demand giving due respect to each other’s views.
Talking to a foreign TV, he said, “There happens to be an element of weakness in the coalition government, but no one wants elections soon and hoped that the allied parties’ ties would remain alright.”Asif Zardari said that there was an absolute harmony on the issue of the re-instatement of judges among the allied parties in the government, but the difference lied in ‘which procedure to be adopted’.

Deadlock between PPP and PML-N still persists on the restoration of the deposed judges. PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif said that differences over the judges’ issue have not been resolved and the deadlock continues. He said both the parties have failed to resolve their differences over the restoration of deposed judges.He said the main stumbling block is the status of judges who took oath under PCO and both sides are committed to their stance. Shahbaz Sharif said that it was the decision of PPP not to include Rehman Malik in the talks. He said the ball is in PPP court with regard to the restoration of judges. To a question, he said it is premature to comment whether the two leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif could meet in future.Meanwhile, PML-N leader and Federal Minister for Petroleum Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the deadline of May 12 will not be extended and no talk will take place between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. He said Mian Nawaz Sharif and other PML-N leaders will return to Pakistan on Sunday. MONITORING DESK ADDS: Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik, Hussain Haqani and Khawaja Asif held a meeting with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in London on the issue of judges’ restoration, Aaj TV reported. Malik, Haqqani and Asif came to meet Zardari with their recommendations finalised after their meeting which lasted for more than two and half hours. On the occasion, Rehman Malik said the talks are progressing in the right direction.A meeting is also expected between Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif provided the negotiations among Rehman Malik, Hussain Haqani and Khawaja Asif produced positive results. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Richard Boucher is expected to arrive in London on Sunday (today), a private TV channel reported on Saturday. According to the TV channel, Boucher will hold meeting with PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.