Judges reinstatement on 12th

LAHORE-With formulating the'give and take formula' aimed at protecting the coalition govt, the PML-N and PPP have agreed on reinstatement of the judges through a resolution in NA followed by an executive order on May 12. This agreement was announced by PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif while addressing a Press conference after party's Central Executive Committee and Parliamentary Party meetings held at his residence in Model Town here on Friday. PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ahsan Iqbal and other important leaders were also present on the occasion. The coalition partners also agreed on consulting with JUI-F head Maulana Fazlur Rehman and ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali over the issue, he said. He further said that both the parties have constituted a six member committee to prepare the draft of the historic resolution. The Committee is led by Federal Law Minister Farooq H.Naik comprising Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan, Hafizuddin Pirzada, Fakhrudin G. Ibrahim, Khawaja Haris Mehmood and Raza Rabbani. He said that during the Dubai talks, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari stuck to his stance that if PML-N parted its way from the coalition govt on the judges issue, PPP would also quit power. He said that after heated talks and consultations, decision for the reinstatement of judges was taken. He said that coalition partnership was not only inevitable for the greater interest of the country but also guarantees the solidarity and integrity of the country. He said that there was no linkage between resolution for the reinstatement of judges and Constitutional package. 'Both are poles apart', he added. Nawaz said that different points in Constitutional package were still under consideration. He said that they were just suggestions. He said that PPP and PML-N were involved in talks on the Constitutional package. He hoped that the matter would also be resolved amicably. He said that if judges issue remained pending, another dictator could take over the country. He said that restoration of judges was not PML-N's personal matter rather it was the collective voice of 160 million of people of Pakistan wanting to see judges restored at any cost. He admitted that though there were a number of problems in country but unless the judges issue was resolved, the other problems could never be addressed. He said that anti-state elements wanted to create rift among the PML-N and PPP on the issue of reinstatement of judges. But they failed to realise their dream, he added. He said 'we want to bring such a system which ensured that none of the institutions could cross their Constitutional boundaries'. He said that every department would work in their own spheres. He said that future of Pakistan lies in strengthening of real democracy and independence of judiciary. Both the coalition partners would remain in contact with each other to continue talks to wriggle out all the problems, he added. He said that both November 3 and debacle of East Pakistan were the blackest day in the history of Pakistan. He called for the impeachment of President Musharraf on judges issue and termed it valid and in the right direction. 'We remained an important partner in the movement for the restoration of judges'. He said we wanted all the parties to boycott the elections on the judges issue but failed to convince them. But we put the restoration of judges as our top priority,he added. He said that PPP and PML-N agreed on the issue that the coalition govt must survive as both of them have yet to resolve the issue regarding abolishment of 17th Amendment, end to National Security Council, curtailing Presidential powers, increasing the power of Prime Minister and ensure sovereignty of the Parliament. Agencies add: 'We will continue our struggle to rid this new democratic era of Pervez Musharraf', he added. Nawaz, however, said that Zardari wanted to keep judges who were sworn in by Musharraf under emergency rule and who then proclaimed his re-election as President legal. 'We expressed our reservations about the judges who took oath after Nov 3 to Zardari but he insisted that we retain those judges',he added. Nawaz said some compromises have to be made for accomplishment of much bigger and greater objectives. It is the goal of PML-N to get sacked judges restored and Asif Zardari has conceded to this demand of ours and this renders completely insignificant the present judges issue, he said.

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