Talks on judges’ restoration to resume today

Leaders of ruling coalition will hold talks again here on Tuesday to finalise strategy for the restoration of judges dismissed by President Pervez Musharraf when he imposed emergency rule last year.Inconclusive talks held previously on Monday between the co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif.The restoration of the judges seen as hostile to Musharraf’s manoeuvres to stay in power was the main element of a coalition pact between the Pakistan People’s Party and PML-N.Asif Ali Zardari agreed to restore about 60 judges, including former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, through a parliamentary resolution within 30 days of the formation of their coalition. That deadline will pass by the end of April.Zardari and Sharif met for more than three hours and discussed a draft resolution to be put to the National Assembly, said Siddiqul Farooq, a spokesman of PML-N.But they had yet to reach a final agreement on Tuesday, he said. “The talks on Tuesday will shape up the issues.” Farooq told reporters.