Zardari-Shahbaz meet fails to end discord over judges

ISLAMABAD — The two main coalition partners, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), have constituted a joint committee to develop consensus on the draft constitution package proposed by the PPP.
The panel which immediately set to business yesterday was formed in a meeting between PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif here on Tuesday night.
While both failed to resolve their fundamental difference on restoration of deposed judges, they agreed on many other major elements of the package designed to clip powers of the president; provide stringent punishment to anybody subverting the constitution including judges who endorse acts of any military adventurer; give selective indemnity to some of the legislative and administrative actions of General Musharraf including the elections and the NRO that pardoned politicians and bureaucrats accused of corruption and political activists involved in criminal charges.
The PML-N stuck to its stance that restoration of judges could not be linked to the constitutional amendments that would amount to legalising Musharraf's unconstitutional purge of judiciary as envisaged in the package. The PPP agreed to the suggestion that the package be introduced in the parliament after adoption of the budget by which time consensus would be built among all four coalition partners and other stakeholders.
Both leaders, who were assisted by senior members of their respective parties, also discussed in detail the proposed long march threatened by lawyers on June 10. The PML-N has vowed to join it if judges are not restored. They further discussed issues related to the forthcoming budget as well as the overall political situation of the country.
Zardari reportedly drew Sharif's attention to grievances of his party's ministers and lawmakers in Punjab where the two parties are in a coalition led by PML-N. He greeted Shahbaz Sharif on his unopposed election and hoped he would take over as chief minister of the province within next couple of days. Shahbaz too pointed out that his party is not consulted at the centre on major decisions being taken by the PPP government. Zardari renewed his call to the PML-N to rejoin the federal cabinet and hoped that this would remove much of its grievances.
During the meeting, Shahbaz was assisted by PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Ishaq Dar, while Finance Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, Law Minister Farooq Naik and Information Minister Sherry Rehman accompanied the PPP Co-chairman.