ID :
16666
Fri, 08/22/2008 - 17:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/16666
The shortlink copeid
Pak's ruling coalition meets to discuss judges reinstatement
Islamabad, Aug 22 (PTI) Pakistan's ruling coalition leaders Friday held hectic consultations to resolve differences over the restoration of deposed judges that are threatening to split up the alliance, even as the P.P.P. said it would take steps to resolve the issue through a debate inparliament.
Former premier Nawaz Sharif, whose P.M.L.-N. is the second largest party in the ruling coalition, has threatened to pull out of the alliance if Pakistan People's Party-led government does not act by Friday to reinstate the judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf during last year'semergency.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan held talks with Sharif this afternoon to find ways to address the P.M.L.-N.'s differences with P.P.P. on modalities forreinstating the judges.
The matter is also expected to figure at a meeting of the P.P.P.'s Central Executive Committee to be held laterFriday at the residence of party chief Asif Ali Zardari.
The P.M.L.-N. and P.P.P. had agreed on August 7 that the deposed judges would be reinstated immediately after the ouster of Musharraf from office. After Musharraf resigned on Monday to avoid impeachment by the ruling coalition, the P.M.L.-N. asked the P.P.P. to deliver on this commitment byAugust 22.
With the deadline set to expire Friday, the P.M.L.-N.
has stuck to its stand that the judges should be reinstated through a parliamentary resolution and an executive orderissued by the Prime Minister.
The P.P.P., which had earlier linked the judges' restoration to a controversial constitutional reforms package, has now said that it plans to resolve the matter through a parliamentary debate. A resolution in this regard will be moved in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament "in a couple of days", P.P.P. leader and Information MinisterSherry Rehman has said.
P.M.L.-N. leaders have expressed surprise at the P.P.P.'smove, saying they had not been taken into confidence about it.
Some P.M.L.-N. leaders even told reporters that it could be another tactic by the P.P.P. to delay the restoration of thejudges.
Zardari is reportedly not keen on reinstating deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as he might scrap the National Reconciliation Ordinance, a controversial law issued last year by Musharraf to drop graftcharges against P.P.P. leaders.
Senior P.P.P. leader and Labour Minister Khurdheed Shah yesterday announced his party's plan to resolve the issue through a parliamentary debate during an appearance on a TV talk show. He did not give details but said parliament issovereign and it should decide the issue of the judges.
Though the P.P.P. initially planed to introduce the resolution for the parliamentary debate Friday, it reportedlydropped the plan following a strong protest from the P.M.L.-N.
The P.M.L.-N. information secretary, Ahsan Iqbal, also saidhis party had not received any formal proposal in this regard.
The P.P.P. and P.M.L.-N. are also divided on the issue of providing indemnity to Musharraf for his actions during his rule. However, Sharif has said he was not against Musharraf leaving Pakistan though some of his supporters wanted to seethe former military strongman in jail.
"If he wants to go (out of Pakistan), I won't stand inhis way. He might want to take a break," Sharif has said.
In a statement, Sharif also said that the restoration of the deposed judges is inevitable to ensure rule of law in the country. The restoration of the judges was not a pledge of the P.M.L.-N. alone as the ruling coalition had promised to thenation that they would be reinstated, he said.
"The P.M.L.-N. participated in the ruling coalition onthe condition of the reinstatement of the deposed judges.
Therefore, the future of the coalition depends on the implementation of the Charter of Democracy," he said. PTI RHL AKV
Former premier Nawaz Sharif, whose P.M.L.-N. is the second largest party in the ruling coalition, has threatened to pull out of the alliance if Pakistan People's Party-led government does not act by Friday to reinstate the judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf during last year'semergency.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan held talks with Sharif this afternoon to find ways to address the P.M.L.-N.'s differences with P.P.P. on modalities forreinstating the judges.
The matter is also expected to figure at a meeting of the P.P.P.'s Central Executive Committee to be held laterFriday at the residence of party chief Asif Ali Zardari.
The P.M.L.-N. and P.P.P. had agreed on August 7 that the deposed judges would be reinstated immediately after the ouster of Musharraf from office. After Musharraf resigned on Monday to avoid impeachment by the ruling coalition, the P.M.L.-N. asked the P.P.P. to deliver on this commitment byAugust 22.
With the deadline set to expire Friday, the P.M.L.-N.
has stuck to its stand that the judges should be reinstated through a parliamentary resolution and an executive orderissued by the Prime Minister.
The P.P.P., which had earlier linked the judges' restoration to a controversial constitutional reforms package, has now said that it plans to resolve the matter through a parliamentary debate. A resolution in this regard will be moved in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament "in a couple of days", P.P.P. leader and Information MinisterSherry Rehman has said.
P.M.L.-N. leaders have expressed surprise at the P.P.P.'smove, saying they had not been taken into confidence about it.
Some P.M.L.-N. leaders even told reporters that it could be another tactic by the P.P.P. to delay the restoration of thejudges.
Zardari is reportedly not keen on reinstating deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as he might scrap the National Reconciliation Ordinance, a controversial law issued last year by Musharraf to drop graftcharges against P.P.P. leaders.
Senior P.P.P. leader and Labour Minister Khurdheed Shah yesterday announced his party's plan to resolve the issue through a parliamentary debate during an appearance on a TV talk show. He did not give details but said parliament issovereign and it should decide the issue of the judges.
Though the P.P.P. initially planed to introduce the resolution for the parliamentary debate Friday, it reportedlydropped the plan following a strong protest from the P.M.L.-N.
The P.M.L.-N. information secretary, Ahsan Iqbal, also saidhis party had not received any formal proposal in this regard.
The P.P.P. and P.M.L.-N. are also divided on the issue of providing indemnity to Musharraf for his actions during his rule. However, Sharif has said he was not against Musharraf leaving Pakistan though some of his supporters wanted to seethe former military strongman in jail.
"If he wants to go (out of Pakistan), I won't stand inhis way. He might want to take a break," Sharif has said.
In a statement, Sharif also said that the restoration of the deposed judges is inevitable to ensure rule of law in the country. The restoration of the judges was not a pledge of the P.M.L.-N. alone as the ruling coalition had promised to thenation that they would be reinstated, he said.
"The P.M.L.-N. participated in the ruling coalition onthe condition of the reinstatement of the deposed judges.
Therefore, the future of the coalition depends on the implementation of the Charter of Democracy," he said. PTI RHL AKV
