PPP-'N' meeting on judges inconclusive

ISLAMABAD - The meeting between Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N regarding tabling of the resolution before the National Assembly for restoration of deposed judges of superior courts remained inconclusive and the parties would meet again today (Tuesday) to give it a final shape. Soon after the meeting PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq talking to the media said that the talks between the signatories of the Murree Summit Declaration lasted for over three hours and the draft resolution and other related matters were discussed in the meeting. He further said that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and both sides would meet again on Tuesday (today) at the Punjab House to give final touches to the resolution to be tabled before the National Assembly. The PML(N) side was led by its Quaid Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif who was assisted by party Chairman Raja Zafar ul Haq, party President Mian Shahbaz Sharif, and Federal Ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ahsan Iqbal and Khwaja Asif, while from PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari led his side which comprised Federal Ministers Ms Sherry Rehman, Farook H. Naek, Khurshid Shah and Rehman Malik. To a question Siddiqul Farooq said that the meeting discussed ways and means to implement the Murree Declaration in letter and in spirit about the restoration of judges to pre-November 3 position. To a question, he said the talks were continuing and there was no deadlock whatsoever and both the parties were committed to implementing the Murree Summit Declaration in letter and in spirit be it the issue of judges or the other matters laid down in the historic document. "No party can deviate from the written commitment and in the same fashion nobody can afford the failure of dialogue," he added. Meanwhile sources privy to the meeting informed that Mian Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari had also an exclusive meeting after they met with their party leaders for about one hour and fine-tuned the draft of the resolution and other modalities for bringing back the judiciary to pre-November 3 position. In this one-on-one meeting both the leaders were assisted by Farooq H. Naik from PPP side while Kh. Asif assisted Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif. The sources disclosed that the meeting mainly took up the issue of executive order and linkage of the resolution for restoration of the judges with the constitutional package for the judiciary. The sources further disclosed that PPP side wanted to link the resolution with the constitutional package for judiciary while PML(N) side wanted the restoration of judges without any pre-condition or its linkage with any other matter. These sources further informed that various fallouts of restoration of the superior courts judges with an executive order also came up for discussion in the meeting. The possibility of challenging the executive order in the apex court was also discussed as this situation could lead to the direct confrontation between the Government and the Presidency. But some other sources privy to the developments insisted that the resolution calling for restoration of the superior courts judges would be tabled before the House in the current session and for the purpose the session could be extended for a few days if need be. These sources were of the view that as the matter of difference between the two sides was not of any serious nature, so the two sides would likely agree on some common point on Tuesday (today) and by Thursday or Friday the resolution would be tabled before the House and after a brief debate the same would be approved. The sources said that the meeting on Monday was not attended by the ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan and JUI(F) chief Mollana Fazlur Rehman as both the leaders had given their consent to the main coalition partners that they would support the decision made between the two on this important issue. However, both the leaders were expected to join the meeting between the two sides on Tuesday(today) when the parties concerned would reach some conclusion on the subject of restoration of judges and tabling of resolution recommending an executive order before the House during the current session. Our Monitoring Desk adds: PML-N decided Monday night to quit all the federal ministries if the deadlock with the PPP over the restoration of judges persists, reports a private TV channel. According to details, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif held consultations with the party leaders and reached a decision that his party ministers will leave the federal cabinet if the deadlock with the ruling PPP persists over the judges restoration. It was said, however, that PML-N would continue supporting PPP in the federation.

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