Draft prepared; Coalition leaders to hold final talks • 05.08.08
The co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari leaves for London on Thursday to hold talks with his coalition partner, chief Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif on the issue of restoration of deposed judges.PPP, PML-N joint committee for the restoration of deposed judges held their last meting on Wednesday night, at the end of the meeting Federal Law Minister and head of the committee Farooq H. Naek, informed media that draft for restoration of deposed judges have been finalized. Final decision will be taken by PPP’s co-chairman Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif he said.He also said the committee has finalized the draft, so no further meetings are required.Central leader of PML-N Khawaja Asif is also leaving for London to join both leaders in the meeting.According to sources, PPP’s co-chairman will meet his son and PPP’s Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He is also expected to enquire about the health of Nawaz Sharif’s wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz besides holding talks with him. National political developments and issue of judges’ restoration will also be discussed in the meeting. Asif Ali Zardari will hold talks with Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and matters related to the government formation in Sindh and unconditional support by MQM in the centre will come under discussion.
PML-N joint Committee formed for the restoration of deposed judges will meet on Monday. Committee earlier met on Saturday under tight security. Law Minister Farooq H Naek has said that issues of restoration of deposed judges and existing judges were discussed.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the government will restore 1973 Constitution, reinstate deposed judges, strengthen democratic institutions and ensure independence of judiciary and media. He said this while addressing a public meeting at Army Cavalry Ground here on Saturday evening.This was his first visit to his hometown after becoming Prime Minister. He said that PPP has shut the mouths of those people who said that PPP was a family party and nobody else could become Prime Minister. “I am very much thankful to Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto who have trusted me,” he added.Gillani said: “People have given us the mandate and we will try to prove ourselves up to their expectations. We will provide basic facilities to all the backward cities, including Multan. We will provide such a system so that people would not commit suicide.”He said that that the coalition government was going on very well. “We will take the country out of the crisis. We will ensure provision of clothing, bread and shelter to everybody.” He said: “I will stay in Multan for two days and will announce a package for the citizens of Multan, and our first priority is to provide job opportunities and to take such steps due to which there would be prosperity in the country.”Earlier, the Prime Minister was given a warm welcome on his arrival at the airport. Punjab Chief Minister Dost Muhammad Khosa, Governor Khalid Maqbool, MNA’s, MPA’s, nazims, leaders and workers of PPP and hundreds of citizens were present at the airport to welcome their leader. Hundreds of workers and activists broke the security circle and reached straightaway to the plane. Security teams were totally helpless to control the excited crowd. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in his address: “We will take the revenge of the murder of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto from the system which has assassinated her.” He said that public has given a common mandate to PPP and PML-N, “and we really respect it”.He said that it was due to the assassination of Benazir that “we are standing on this place” and the sun of democracy has risen again. The cloud of dictatorship has gone now. He said that “our opponents claimed that the government of PPP would be formed in the centre but not in the province. But in the provinces also our government has been formed”. In Sindh and Balochistan the chief ministers are from PPP while in other two provinces the chief ministers are from the coalition parties.He said that the people of Punjab have proved that PPP is also popular in Punjab. “Our opponents are trying to create hurdles, but we will face the crisis. We are not against anyone; we just wanting prosperity in the country.” He said: “The former government could not produce even single mega watt electricity in 8 years, and it is fully responsible for the entire crisis which we are facing now including electricity, wheat, water etc. We know that a severe protest was held in Multan against load shedding, but we are trying our best to tackle the problem.”The Prime Minister, without even caring about the security problem, went to the shrine of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya with Shah Mehmood Qureshi. There they offered fateha. The schedule was that the Prime Minister would go to the shrine in helicopter. Later on, Gillani went to the shrine Hazrat Musa Pak where he offered Fateha and put a wreath. The city was decorated with the reception banners and hoarding boards. Reception camps were established on different roundabouts. Tight security arrangements were made in the city.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday announced that the deposed judges will be reinstated as per Bhurbhan agreement.Bhurbhan agreement and Murree declaration will be implemented in letter and sprit at any cost they said in joint press conference after talks were held here.The time period of 30 days given for the reinstatement of the judges is also the part of Bhurbhan agreement, Nawaz Sharif said in reply to a question. Nawaz Sharif ruled out deadlock among the ruling collation partners over the judge’s issue, saying, “ There was only difference of opinion and the difference of opinion, which has been resolved, is the beauty of the democracy he said.
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.
The resolution asks government to withdraw authorities and privileges vested in and exercised by one person. It also demands supremacy of law and independence of judiciary after election of February 18. According to the draft of proposed resolution, the National Assembly of Pakistan will ask government to reinstate deposed Judiciary. The resolution describes that authority to remove judges can only be exercised under article 209 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary made his first appearance after prime minister-elect Yousaf Raza Gillani ordered his release here on Monday. President Pervez Musharraf ousted and detained Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry along with other judges in November 2007 to protect his disputed presidency from legal wrangling. Within no time after the order of prime minister-elect for release of the detained chief justice, people from all walks of life rushed towards his residence chanting slogans in support of judiciary and deposed judges, who did not take oath under the PCO. Dozens of activists and lawyers climbed the wall of the compound where deposed chief justice had been under house arrest for more than four months. Riot police, who had previously sealed all routes to Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry’s residence stood by as intruders entered the front lawn. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry accompanied by his family came out and waved from the balcony of his house. Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, former Justice Tariq Mehmood, Ather Minallah and other lawyers who have been rallying against the regime since November 3 were also with the CJ. Speaking to the gathering Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that he along with 60 other judges was illegally detained since November 3 the day emergency was imposed.He said that he always had worked for the supremacy of constitution and will carry on his mission in the future as well. In this regard he said I hope that the civil society and lawyers will continue their support, he added. Aitzaz said that we welcome the decision taken by the prime minister and it is a victory of the people and political parties of the country. But this is not the objective of our struggle, we still have to go a long way till the reinstatement of the chief justice, he added. He said that we are satisfied with the Murree delectation and wait for 30 days so that the newly-elected parliament could resolve the issue. We will not agitate as we want a strong parliament, he added.
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