Lahore, May 15 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has urged the people to take to the streets for the restoration of sacked Pakistani judges.
Sharif claimed that he had only accepted the (Provisional Constitutional Order) PCO judges under compulsion from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and would not do so in future.
"PML-N had only joined the federal cabinet on the assurance by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, that the sacked judges would be restored on May 12", Daily Times quoted Sharif, as saying.
He said that the restoration of the sacked judiciary would have a positive impact on the ongoing energy crisis and price hike, adding that the Punjab government would support the lawyers' long march, instead of blocking its path.
Meanwhile, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that he was still engaged in talks with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, and believes the future of the ruling coalition is bright in Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference jn Islamabad, at his house Zardari said the PPP had the support of most members in parliament, but wanted to take the PML-N along in line with its policy of reconciliation.
"There will be no no-confidence move against the PML-N Government in Punjab. I am not thinking of a setup minus Nawaz Sharif," the Daily Times quoted Zardari, as saying.
He further said that Sharif desired the restoration of the sacked judges through a notification, and the denotification of the working judiciary."
"The move could create a new Constitutional crisis, as the incumbent judges could seek a stay-order from court, and that it was against his re-conciliation policy," he added.
A resolution for the restoration of the sacked judges would be tabled at a joint session of the parliament, he said, adding that he did not approve of President Pervez Musharraf's November 3 measure, but did not want to rectify one illegal move with another.
Pak judges discussing new oath offer
Karachi, May 15 (ANI): The Pakistan Government's latest move to create dissension within the ranks of the judiciary by offering to 're-appoint' judges of the high courts, appears to be succeeding partially as the affected judges have started to discuss the merits and demerits of accepting the new oath offer.
According to the Dawn, through different emissaries, including some judges of the superior judiciary who are currently serving on the bench, the government contacted the deposed judges of the Lahore and Sindh High courts and offered to re-appoint them if they were willing to take a fresh oath.
"We were told that our seniority and other benefits would remain as if we have been in continuous service," said a judge, but added that the fear was that "if we don't play ball in the future, someone could challenge our re-appointments on the grounds that the rights of the judges who did take oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) of November 3, 2007, had been violated.
According to sources, this was the reason that the initial response of some of the affected high court judges appeared to be in the negative.
However, some other judges were 'heartbroken' with the attitude of the governing party, which seems to be "too beholden to the president and those who have validated the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to deliver on the restoration promise".
"They won the election on February 18. Even if they wanted to restore the judges through a constitutional amendment, they have now had three months to draft it. But they haven't," said another judge. (ANI)
