PPP striving to constitutionally resolve judicial issue: Farzana

ISLAMABAD - Farzana Raja of Pakistan People's Party Saturday said that PPP was striving to resolve the judicial issue through constitutional means and was against entangling it by taking emotional steps. "The PPP wants to avert constitutional perplexities that would ultimately arise if we restore deposed judiciary merely by a resolution followed by an executive order", she said while talking to TheNation. She said that PPP was committed to its pledge of reinstating deposed judges but was not ready to take any unconstitutional step to undo another. " Parliament is the supreme institution and the complex issue of the restoration of deposed judiciary should be resolved by the representatives of the people of Pakistan", she noted. Raja said that PPP was not stuck on any minus one or two formula but was not in favour of reinstating deposed judges through the channel of police. "Deposed judges will definitely be restored through the act of parliament and a constitutional package attached with judges restoration resolution would be the guarantee for true judicial independence in the future", she held.    She negated the impression that the gulf between PPP and PML-N was widening and said that the coalition partners would work together for the strengthening of democratic order and institutions in the country. "In a week, PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari is going to hold a meeting with PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif to resolve the misunderstanding created in the wake of Punjab Governor's appointment". She said that the appointment of PPP's governor in Punjab would balance the power in the province. The PPP lawmaker said that PPP government would stand by its manifesto for solving people's problems. "We inherited mammoth challenges on various fronts like energy, economy, law and order situation but have the capability to knock them out with our resolution and people's cooperation", she maintained. When asked whether his party's popularity graph was seeing downward trend, she brushed aside the perception saying, "It is a miscalculated impression and no one can gauge the popularity of any party with only after forty five days in power". She also negated the impression that PPP was being run on the dictation of party's Co-Chairperson. "PPP is a democratic party in which freedom of expression is exercised and allowed to be practised by the party leaders. PPP co-chairperson takes into confidence all party parliamentarians, members of central executive committee and even the party workers at the grass root level before finalising any decision", she stated.     She strongly refuted the perception that Asif Ali Zardari was hand in glove with President Musharraf. "The eight years long imprisonment of Asif Ali Zardari and long exile of party's slain Chairperson Benazir Bhutto is the ample proof of it that PPP doesn't believe in deals and clandestine relations with military dictators and undemocratic forces", she observed. She asserted that PPP was united under the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari and would continue its journey on the path of democracy and independence in the country.  "In politics faces keep on changing but the parties survive on their agenda and philosophy", she replied when asked about the sudden disappearance of some of the party stalwarts from active political scene. "PPP Co-Chairperson believes in federation and has dispelled the dirty tactics of political victimisation", she noted, adding that Zardari was advancing the reconciliation philosophy of late Benazir Bhutto for the greater interest of the nation. Raja said that political mist would settle soon leaving behind bright horizon and men with clear conscious.   

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