PML-N conveys reservations on restoration of judges to PPP

The PML-N is learnt to have conveyed to the PPP its serious reservations against the proposed formation of a parliamentary committee to formulate recommendations for the restoration of deposed judges.

Islamabad, Apr 8 : The PML-N is learnt to have conveyed to the PPP its serious reservations against the proposed formation of a parliamentary committee to formulate recommendations for the restoration of deposed judges.

The judges' issue has been the PML-N's main plank of politics since long. It knows that it would massively damage itself if it backs out on the restoration of justice and has no doubt that it would gain politically if it continued to push for restoration of the judges.

The PML-N sees an easy and smooth ouster of Pervez Musharraf from the Aiwan-e-Sadr in the reinstatement of the judges. As far as the presidency is concerned, it is closely watching the activities of the ruling coalition partners on the fate of the deposed judges, reported The News.

"The restoration of judges would amount to further complicating the issue," a prominent PML-N leader, also a federal minister, said.

He added that the PML-N has directly articulated its reservations to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and will communicate them to PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari when he returns to Pakistan from Dubai.

Federal Law Minister Farooq H Naik reiterated on Monday that a parliamentary committee of the ruling coalition parties would be constituted to compile recommendations for the resolution of deposed judges that would be tabled in parliament.

"The parliament will have to take the decision on the issue of judiciary that will be resolved according to the aspirations of the masses," the paper quoted Naik as saying.

The PML-N minister said as repeated by his party several times that the restoration of the deposed judges was a simple issue that should not be complicated unnecessarily. He feared that establishment of a parliamentary committee, as pressed by the law minister, has the potential of marring the PML-N's relations with the PPP. "Neither we nor the PPP want such a dismal scenario to crop up at the very outset," he said.

He further said that since the judges were sacked through illegal and unconstitutional measures, they needed to be brought back through an executive order. Such a directive can be issued right away after the passage of a parliamentary resolution, he added.

Meanwhile, a Presidential confidant said the deposed judges could be reinstated through a constitutional amendment passed by two-thirds majority: "We have no agreement with the PPP or any other parliamentary party on the question of restoring the deposed judges, but we have no doubt that they can be reinstated only through a constitutional amendment to be passed through a two-thirds majority in the Parliament," he said.

ANI