News
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Coalition fails to agree on judges, next president, constitutional package: Deadlock on all issues
* PML-N wants reinstatement of all judges through executive order, and non-PPP president
* PPP insists on constitutional package plus PPP president
* ANP, JUI-F seek three days for deliberations
* Say they were consulted when PPP, PML-N made agreements
* Sherry says timeframe for the restoration of judiciary depends on when a consensus is reachedBy Muhammad Bilal
ISLAMABAD: The four-party ruling coalition on Tuesday failed to reach an agreement on the restoration of the sacked judiciary to the pre-November 3, 2007 position within the 72-hour deadline expiring tomorrow (Thursday). “[PPP Co-chairman] Asif Zardari insisted on the minus-one formula – which is, restoration of all sacked judges except Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,” an insider said, adding that representatives of FATA legislators also attended the meeting held at Zardari House. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) sought three days for consultations with constitutional experts and for discussion within their own parties. A source said the deadlock on the issue of judges continued as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stuck to their positions. “The PPP wanted the reinstatement of judges minus-one through a constitutional package but the PML-N insisted that they should be all restored through an executive order within three days as agreed already,” the source said. According to the PML-N, Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had agreed to impeach Pervez Musharraf and then restore the judiciary within three days of his removal. But PPP sources said there was no agreement on the specifics. But another insider said the ANP and JUI-F made it clear to the two major coalition partners that they were not party to the Murree Declaration and it was not binding on them to adhere to it. “The ANP and the JUI-F tacitly endorsed the PPP point of view,” he said. Another source privy to the meeting said that Zardari told participants of the meeting that Iftikhar Chaudhry had become political and controversial. But the PML-N chief reacted sharply to his stance and made it clear that it would not be acceptable to his party. Nawaz also believed the proposed constitutional package would indemnify Musharraf’s “unconstitutional steps”, the sources said, “and was therefore opposed to it”. Talking to Daily Times, JUI-F Secretary-General Ghafoor Haideri said the differences between the two major political parties on the issue of restoration of deposed judges would soon be removed. Asked whether there was an agreement on the restoration of the sacked judges, he said his party would consult constitutional experts and would try to find out an amicable solution within three days. Regarding a new presidential candidate, the JUI-F secretary general said the decision would be made after mutual consensus, but did not deny his party intended for the top office. The PPP insists that it has a right to have its own president from Sindh. A source said Nawaz wanted the candidate to be from Balochistan. Talking to reporters after the long meeting, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and ANP chief Asfandyar Wali said the PPP and the PML-N did not consult them before making agreements on the restoration of the sacked judges. Both Fazl and Wali said they would consult their parties on how to resolve the issue. Timeframe: Talking to reporters, Sherry Rehman said all coalition partners would be taken onboard over the restoration of judiciary. To a question about a timeframe for the restoration, she said it depended on when a consensus was reached.
Courtesy DailyTimes