Failure of PPP-PMLN talks not beginning of coalition’s end: Babar

ISLAMABAD: Spokesman Pakistan Peoples Party Farhatullah Babar Monday said that failure of talks between PPP and PMLN was not the beginning of the end of coalition rather it is a pause in the process of restoring the deposed judges and strengthening of parliament.
Talking to a private television channel the central PPP leaders said that his party’s leadership looks this development in this way and not as an end of the experiment and of the coalition.
He said the PMLN will certainly support the PPP in the restoration of deposed judges and in fact this has been the main plank of that party.
The PMLN leaders in their press conference said that although they will withdraw their Ministers from the cabinet yet they will not sit in the opposition benches, Babar said.
Therefore it is clear that whatever efforts the PPP will make for the restoration of judges the PMLN will not only support it but will welcome it, he added.
The PPP spokesman said that in his opinion there is some mis-perception.
Explaining he said that the issue is not the lack of commitment on part of PPP rather the issue is that PPP wants to restore the judges and undo the unconstitutional effects of the November 3 proclamation in a legal and lawful manner.
“We do not want to undo the sacking of the judges in a wrong and unlawful manner”, he said.
Elaborating he said let me clarify since it has been agreed that all the judges would be restored , not only they will be restored but the present judges will also remain in tact. This means that when the deposed judges are brought back to the Supreme Court the total number of the judges would increase to 27 or near about that.
Now under judges’ Act 1997, the total number of judges in SC is no more than 17 he said adding therefore in order to provide a legal basis to the increased number of judges, we have to amend this Act by submitting a bill in the parliament, because this cannot be done through an executive order by the Prime Minister.
“So these are the kind of legalities that we are looking at and we say that we must follow the correct legal procedure and this is the only difference of opinion”, he said.
Babar said that when Nawaz Sharif returned from Dubai after meeting with Asif Ali Zardari he addressed the press conference in Lahore, wherein he said that not only the deposed judges will be restored but also those judges who are in the benches now will also be accommodated.
So in this regard there is no issue between the two major parties the PPP Spokesman said.
To a question he said, if the PMLN’s Ministers quit their vacant positions would not be fulfilled except the post of Finance minister.
The position of the Fiance Minister will be filled soon the event of resignation of PMLN’s minister for two reasons he said explaining one this is the budget season and second there are very serious and pressing economic issue that cannot be left unattended and for which there must be a full time Minister.
To another question he said hopefully the budget would be on time and the new developments would not affect the budget calendar.
Responding yet to another question Babar said the PPP will not withdraw its support from the PMLN’s government in Punjab nor it will withdraw its Minister from the provincial cabinet.
“We do not want the provincial government to be de-stabilized”, he maintained.
Babar said that PPP will restore the faith of legal community in its government by restoring the deposed judges in lawful manners.
He however avoided to give a deadline as to how much time it will take in solving the judges’ restoration issue through lawful manner.
He said the process may take as much time as it is required in amending a constitutional clause.