Nawaz extends deadline on judges’ restoration: debate in parliament next week

Mian Nawaz Sharif, Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) agreed on Friday to a debate in the parliament next week, pushing forward a deadline for the restoration of judges deposed last year by former president Pervez Musharraf. A decision to this effect came in a meeting between three coalition partners PML-N, ANP and JUI along with MNAs from Fata.

The reconciliatory efforts of Asfandyar Wali Khan, President Awami National Party and Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, Chief of Jamiat Ulema e Islam borne fruit and the coalition has reached a consensus to reinstate the judges by initiating a debate on the restoration of the deposed judges on Monday and passing the necessary resolution by Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference on Friday along with Asfandyar Wali and Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, Nawaz said that he has made it clear to ANP and JUI leaders that judges should be restored by Wednesday, after a two-day discussion. Maulana Fazl ur Rehman added that the process might take one or two more days.

“We are not against the resolution to be tabled in the parliament but it should lead to the reinstatement of all the judges as of pre-November 3, 2007 position. It was agreed by the coalition partners in a written document of August 7, that after 24 hours of the impeachment of Pervez Musharraf, judges will be restored,” Nawaz observed.

He said that PML-N will not like to quit the coalition. “We never wanted to break the coalition but we are committed to the cause of restoration of judiciary,” he added.

“No minus-one formula will be accepted,” Nawaz firmly said, adding that there is only one Chief Justice who is Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and any move not to reinstate him will not be accepted. “I have no personal acquaintance with Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry but we have stood for the cause of independent judiciary, we know that in the past the judiciary has provided shelter and indemnity to dictators.”

He said we are passing through a very critical phase of our political history; time factor, he said, must not hamper the process of democracy. “The nation has given us a mandate on February 18 to undo Pervez Musharraf’s unconstitutional steps,” he said.

He applauded the role of Asfandyar Wali and Maulana Fazal ur Rehman in resolving the issue and trying to keep the coalition intact. Speaking on the occasion, ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan said they offered both the parties to table a resolution in the parliament aimed at undoing the unconstitutional steps of November 3 by the then president Musharraf.

He said that he and the JUI had sought 72-hour time during the meeting of the coalition heads at Zardari House last Tuesday to help bring about an agreement. As a result of the efforts, it has been agreed to table a resolution in the National Assembly to undo all unconstitutional step taken on November 3 last year by Pervez Musharraf, he said.

Both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari have agreed to set up a committee to draft a resolution for the restoration of the deposed judges, he said. Maulana Fazl ur Rehman said the two major coalition parties will finalise the resolution’s draft and will table it in the National Assembly by Monday. To a question, he said we would stand by democracy if called upon to do so.