Deposed judges to be reinstated on May 12: Nawaz

ASSOCIATED PRESS SERVICE


LAHORE : PML‑N Chief Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday said that the deposed judges would be reinstated on May 12 through a resolution as per spirit of Murree Declaration.“The resolution will be tabled in the National Assembly on May 12 and the same day the government will issue a notification to reinstate the deposed judges,” he said while briefing newsmen after a meeting of PML‑N Central Working Committee at Model Town here.
Chairman PML‑N Raja Zafarul Haq, President Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, General Secretary Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Senior Vice President Javid Hashmi and other leaders were also present on the occasion.
PML (N) Chief said that a committee comprising constitutional experts had been formed to draft the resolution for the restoration of the deposed judges.
The members of the committee headed by Federal Law Minister, Farooq H. Naek will have Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan, Hafizuddin Peerzada, Fakharuddin G. Ibraheem, Khawaja Haris and Mian Raza Rabbani.
The committee will consider the matter in threadbare manner and would refer the issue back to the top leadership in case of any deadlock, Nawaz said.
Responding to a question, he said that PML (N) had reservations about the post‑November 3 judiciary. However, PPPP Co‑Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had expressed his wish to retain the present judges during Dubai round of talks.
“ We have accepted Mr. Zardari’s demand to achieve the supreme goal of restoration of deposed judges,” he maintained.
Nawaz Sharif said that the PPP‑PML (N) leadership would also take ANP Chief, Asfandyar Wali and JUI (F) leader, Maulana Fazalur Rehman into confidence on all issues, he added.
To another question, Nawaz Sharif said that the ruling coalition would not accept any stay order against the restoration of the judges.
Nawaz Sharif said that all the component parties of the ruling coalition including PML (N) wanted to continue and sustain the alliance in the larger interest of the nation and democracy.
“The alliance will help ensure the implementation of Charter of Democracy in letter and spirit, revocation of 17th amendment, abolition of National Security Council and scrapping of all the dictatorial rules to turn the office of Prime Minister into real executive power,” PML (N) chief spelled out the objectives of alliance.
He said that coalition government would restore the 1973 constitution in its pre‑October 12 1999 condition. “Besides fixing the constitutional and judicial matters, the government will also steer the nation out of economic crisis,” he
asserted. Nawaz paid tributes to negotiation teams of both PML (N) and PPPP for exhibiting flexibility and sagacity of extreme level while sorting out the ticklish issues.
He congratulated lawyers community, civil society, political parties, media and general public on their success in achieving the lofty ideal of judges’ restoration.
He said that various points of the constitutional package were of recommendatory nature, assuring that all the stakeholders in this regard would be kept on board to come to a broad‑based decision acceptable to all of them.
To a query, PML (N) Quaid said that resolution for the restoration of deposed judges and proposed constitutional packages were two separate things and added that restoration of judges was being made in line with Bhurban Declaration.