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Political temperature rises in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Political temperatures are once again on the rise in Pakistan with just three days left to the 30-day deadline for the restoration of the pre-November 2007 judiciary, and the two main parties of the ruling coalition pulling in different directions on the issue.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif is emphatic that there will be no compromise on the deadline for restoring the judges who were sacked by President Pervez Musharraf in his November 3 emergency.

“We want the resolution [for the restoration of the judiciary] to be tabled [in Parliament] even before the 30-day deadline. We want to see judges on their seats within minutes of their reinstatement through an executive order soon after the resolution,” said Mr. Sharif on Saturday.

He said there was no ambiguity in the Murree Declaration about the deadline, and expressed the hope that Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari would also adhere to the pledge made to the nation.

Under the terms of the March 8 declaration, the two parties agreed that they would restore the judiciary to the pre-November 3 position through a resolution in the National Assembly within 30 days of forming the government, set to expire on Wednesday.

“I signed [the Murree Declaration] in Bhurban in front of the nation and I want to fulfil my pledge,” he said.

“I believe my brother Asif Ali Zardari will implement the Murree Declaration in letter and spirit.”

As D-day approaches, senior PML(N) leaders are declaring that they will resign from the Cabinet and quit the government if the judges are not restored by the deadline.

Whether the PML(N) is serious about that is not certain. At the moment, the signs are that the deadline will not be met. For one, the National Assembly was adjourned indefinitely last Friday, which means that there is no possibility of tabling a resolution demanding the reinstatement of the judiciary in the House, even if one is finalised immediately.

According to media reports, there is no sign that the Assembly will be reconvened before the first week of June.

Secondly, it is not clear if the two sides have resolved their differences over the modalities for restoring the judiciary towards finalising a parliamentary resolution.

The PPP apparently wants to limit the term of the Supreme Court Chief Justice so that even if the deposed Iftikhar Chauhdary is restored, he will not be in office for any length of time, and may have to step down later this year, or at best, within two years.

At their meeting last week, Mr. Zardari and Mr. Sharif announced the formation of a committee under the Law Ministry to find common ground and finalise the resolution.

Law Minister Farooq Naek has said the committee has finalised its proposals, but the leaders of the two main parties are to have the final word.

The PPP leader’s sudden departure for Dubai at the weekend created its own eddy of speculation that Mr. Zardari was sending an open message that he did not believe in the deadline. He is not expected back for a few days.

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