News

 

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Judges’ committee united on draft resolution, not implementation

* Nawaz, Zardari to take final decision
* Aitzaz wants executive order

By Muhammad Bilal

ISLAMABAD: The committee tasked with implementing the restoration of the sacked judges reached an agreement on a draft resolution on Wednesday but differed on the method of its implementation. “There is an agreement on the draft resolution, but there are divergent views among the constitutional experts on its implementation,” Law Minister Farook H Naek told reporters after a meeting at Punjab House. He said Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and Aitzaz Ahsan differed on how best to implement the resolution. The draft resolution would now be sent to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif for a final decision on its implementation, he added. However, the Law minister did not divulge any details. “My heart is pumping ... I wish I could tell you,” he said of whether the May 12 deadline would be met. He said meeting the deadline now depended on Nawaz and Zardari. “It’s up to them now to decide when to convene the National Assembly session to table the resolution. They will also decide whether to convene the NA session only or both the houses of parliament,” he added. Executive order: According to sources, Aitzaz insisted that the resolution be implemented through an executive order, while Pirzada said the restoration was possible only through the passage of a law. Aitzaz also strongly opposed retaining the judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order, 2007, but agreed that the pre-November 3 judges who were asked to continue could be retained in accordance with their seniority. Also on Wednesday, Nawaz told Geo News that he would meet Zardari in London to discuss the framework for the restoration of the sacked judges. Sources said that PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and Khawaja Asif would also travel to London.

Courtesy Daily Times

Back to Top