Pakistan Views

The government plans to move in the National Assembly within a couple of days a resolution seeking reinstatement of judges President Pervez Musharraf removed last year, sources said.Top leaders of two major coalition parties held their second meeting in less than 24 hours here on Monday to finalise the draft of the resolution and other procedures through which judges would be restored. Leaders of ruling coalition held inconclusive talks to finalise strategy for the restoration of judges dismissed by President Pervez Musharraf.Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and former premier Nawaz Sharif would meet again on Tuesday to give final go ahead to the move, their parties said was aimed at ensuring the supremacy of the parliament and the independence of the judiciary.The PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) last month agreed in Murree to reinstate these jurists within 30 days of the swearing-in of new parliament through a resolution in the National Assembly. A spokesperson for PML-N told media two leaders were committed to their landmark agreement called Bhurban Declaration and would implement that in letter and spirit.The resolution, Siddiqul Farooque said, might come within a couple of days. “In any case, it will be in the current session,” he said, referring to the sitting of the Lower House scheduled to be called on Friday.Both Farooque and a carefully written statement by a PPP spokesperson denied there was any deadlock over the issues and said both sides had firm resolve to reinstate sacked judges as per their accord.”None of the parties can afford the failure of these negotiations. No body can run away from Bhurban Accord,” Siddiqul Farooque told reporters who waited outside the venue as meeting ran for almost four hours. A source in PPP told Business Recorder that the resolution might come on Tuesday (today).The top party leader said Zardari, reportedly an undergraduate, was waiting for existing Supreme Court ruling to abolish the graduation condition to contest the general election.”Now he can afford to go for a kill,” he said, “and he will do exactly what people expect from him.” Another PPP MP, however, said there were some differences over minor issues, which could take some time for resolution, delaying the move for at least till Wednesday. The parliamentarian, also a central executive committee’s member, did not specify issues stretching the matter.Media reports earlier suggested the difference was on the timing of bringing in a constitutional package to cut short the tenure of judges. The PPP, sources said, was pushing to move the resolution and the package together while Sharif was not in favour of it at all.Farooque said the National Assembly resolution would recommend to the government to reinstate judges. The Prime Minister, the chief executive, or the federal cabinet would then issue a directive as a response to the parliament’s call. The law ministry would call the final shot by issuing a notification, reinstating ousted judges. Sources said the ruling coalition would try to finish the process as quickly as possible to avert any effort by Musharraf to sabotage it. The Prime Minister might issue the directive from the flour immediately after the passage of the resolution, they said.