Sharif calls on PPP-govt to reinstate all deposed judges

Lahore, Sep 9 (PTI) Former premier Nawaz Sharif Tuesday
called on the Pakistan People's Party-led (P.P.P.) government
to reinstate all judges deposed during last year's emergency
and to restore the constitution of 1973.

Sharif said his P.M.L.-N party, which is now in the
opposition after pulling out of the ruling coalition last
month, would "support every action of the P.P.P. that is taken
to strengthen democracy".

"The government should complete its term and we want
the government to provide good governance. The government
should function according to the law and constitution of
1973," Sharif told reporters at the airport here before
leaving for London, where his wife is convalescing after
surgery.

"For that, it is necessary to restore the constitution of
1973 and the 17th(constitutional) amendment must be scrapped,"
he said, referring to changes introduced in the constitution
by former President Pervez Musharraf that gave him the power
to dissolve parliament and dismiss the Prime Minister.

"The powers of the parliament and Prime Minister must be
restored. There is no doubt about this and the government must
do this. The government should complete its term and all of us
must play our roles for this," he said.

During a meeting yesterday with President-elect Asif Ali
Zardari, Sharif turned down a request to return to
the coalition and said the P.M.L.-N would cooperate with
the government to strengthen democracy in the country.

"I had gone to congratulate Mr Zardari, he is Pakistan's
elected President. He was elected legally and
constitutionally. He is a democratic President and has not
taken over like a dictator. We accept his mandate and think
his election was legal," said Sharif, whose party's candidate
was defeated by Zardari in last week's presidential poll.

"We wanted the transition of power in Pakistan to be done
in a nice way…This is a good development for Pakistan."

Sharif pointed out that the Charter of Democracy, an
agreement he had signed with slain P.P.P. chairperson Benazir
Bhutto in 2006, could provide the framework for ushering in
complete democracy in the country.

"If the Charter of Democracy is implemented, then I
believe this country cannot go wrong and this government
cannot go wrong," he said.

Sharif also expressed his opposition to the methods
adopted by the P.P.P.-led government to selectively reinstate
some of the dozens of judges who were deposed by Musharraf
last year. Since the P.M.L.-N pulled out of the ruling
coalition, the government has restored several deposed judges
who agreed to take a fresh oath.

"The judges' issue is not finished. The restoration of
the judges will be accepted only if they are reinstated to
their positions (at the time of imposition of emergency last
year). These are fresh appointments and we do not accept
them," he said.

Replying to a question on whether the P.P.P. should
withdraw its ministers from the P.M.L.-N-led coalition
government in Punjab province, Sharif said all decisions in
this regard "will have to be made by the P.P.P".

Some P.M.L.-N leaders have called on the P.P.P to
withdraw its ministers from the provincial government after
their party walked out of the federal coalition.

Sharif also blamed the army and frequent spells of
martial law for Pakistan's problems. "For 34 years of
Pakistan's history of about 61 years, the army generals have
ruled Pakistan and you can see the effects of that rule –
hunger, unemployment, poverty, inflation, energy crisis, a
shortage of 'atta'(wheat). What did the generals do for
Pakistan?"

He added: "India is highly regarded along with China
today, and India has never had martial law imposed by the
army. If martial law is the secret of progress and prosperity,
India should also have had martial law. Martial law alone has
destroyed Pakistan."