Coalition renews pledge to restore judges
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—The leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance, Asif Ali Zardari, Asfandyar Wali and Mian Nawaz Sharif have agreed upon their firm resolve over reinstatement of judiciary in 30 days. The meeting held in Zardari House deliberated over the major issue of reinstatement of judiciary, and recent occurring violence in Karachi, Lahore and Multan, besides overall socio-political solution in the Country.
Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal also accompanied Mian Nawaz Sharif, while Asif Ali Zardari was assisted by Khurshid Shah, Raza Rabbani, Pervez Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, and Farhat ullah Babar. The talks, which continued for two and a half hours with a short, break for lunch, during which deliberations somehow continued.
Talking to media after the conclusion of the meeting, PPPP spokesman, Farhat ullah Babar and information minister Sherry Rehman affirmed complete consensus of coalition leaders over reinstatement of deposed judges, in accordance with “The Bhurban Declaration”. However n fixed modalities have so far been deliberated for this noble cause, which would take few days to complete.
The meeting also took stock of the on going war on terror and resolved that as already announced, the government will follow the path of negotiations with those who lay down arms as an element of policy in the fight against terrorism. It also took note of and condemned the conspiracies against the newly elected government.
In this connection the leaders expressed concern over the recent incidents in Karachi as a conspiracy against the Sindh government and that in Lahore and Multan as part of conspiracy against the new Punjab government. The meeting resolved to foil with the help of the people all conspiracies hatched by antidemocratic forces. The meeting also reviewed the recent incidents against Dr. Sher Afgan, Karachi crisis, and recent violent riots against WAPDA in Multan, which were declared as conspiracies against the government. It was also announced that such conspiracies would not only be foiled but the tactics of anti-democratic forces would also be foiled.
Ruling coalition renewed their pledge on Tuesday to restore the judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf who could reopen legal challenges to his rule. The reaffirmation came at a meeting between Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her political successor, Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister overthrown by Musharraf in 1999, and other coalition leaders. The meeting was held against the backdrop of reports that strains have appeared in the two-week-old coalition over the reinstatement of the judges. Musharraf fired around 60 judges, including Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudhry, after imposing emergency rule in November to preempt a ruling against his re-election by legislators in October while still army chief.