Judiciary should have final say in judges appointment

ABU DHABI — Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that an independent judiciary in the country should mean that it is independent in financial matters as well as in the appointment of judges.
“The names of the new judges should be proposed by the high court of a province and finalised by a relevant committee of the respective provincial assembly. The president or the prime minister should not have powers to appoint judges,” he said while addressing the Pakhtoon community here on Sunday evening at a meeting organised by Yousuf Orakzai, President of Abu Dhabi Pakhtoon Roorwali (Pakhtoon Brothers).
However, Asfandyar avoided comment on the proposed resolution to be tabled in parliament for the restoration of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf. “Whatever is the decision of the majority, we will accept. I came to Dubai hoping to meet Asif Zardari, Co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party, but he has returned to Pakistan. I will talk to them (Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N) when I go back to Pakistan,” Asfandyar said to a question.
He said that the nation had given its verdict in the February 18 elections that parliament is the highest authority in the country and, therefore, all powers should rest with it. “The election results also gave a clear message to the world that Pakhtoons are not extremists. We want peace. We want the world to give our children books and not rifles, uniforms and not suicide jackets. Give my children the same that you give to your children,” he said.
“We want to talk to all people for peace. I mean it. However, my tolerance should not be taken as a weakness,” he said. He said the previous government of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal could not release Sufi Mohammad during its five-year tenure; however, the new government released him within one month of coming into power.
Asfandyar said that the new leadership in Pakistan was taking the country in the right direction and all powers were being transferred to parliament. He said everyone in Pakistan agreed on provincial autonomy. “I do not want just the political autonomy, I also want economic autonomy as well,” he said.
He said that the Frontier province produced 60 per cent of the country’s electricity needs which is purchased by the federal government at the rate of 25.5 paisa per unit and sold to the province at Rs6.5 per unit. The result is that Peshawar, the capital of the Frontier province, suffered more loadshedding than the federal capital Islamabad.
He said that Frontier could produce 35,000 megawatt electricity without construction of new dams. He said that he has been assured that electricity production would soon be opened to the private sector which would also be allowed to sell it to Wapda.
Similarly, Karak district in the Frontier province has three times more gas than the Sui field. However, Karak had not been benefiting from it. Instead, the gas was being supplied by one pipeline to Multan. Only now on the orders of the chief minister of the province supply of gas had been started to people in Karak.
“Today, Pakistan will progress only through a real federation between the four provinces. I hope that the country’s problems will be solved now. I want to assure you that we will resign from the assembly if we see that cannot solve the problems,” Asfandyar said.
The meeting was attended by ANP leaders and community members in the UAE.