LAHORE, April 4: The PML-N is committed to reinstating deposed judges within 30 days of the formation of the federal government, says Mian Nawaz Sharif, the chief of the party.

According to a press release issued here, Mr Sharif said during a meeting with federal ministers belonging to his party that restoration of the judiciary to its pre-Nov 3 position was not just a political issue, but it was also an ethical, legal and constitutional matter affecting the nation’s future.

He said that no country could be strong without the rule of law.

Apparently worried about the changing position of the Pakistan People’s Party on the issue, the ML-N is of the view that the reinstatement of the deposed judges was first test of the fledgling coalition.

“On February 18, the people of Pakistan slammed the door shut in the face of dictatorship and gave a clear mandate to democratic forces to reinstate deposed judges, establish the supremacy of Constitution and democracy and put the country on the path of economic recovery. Politicians must abide by this mandate,” Mr Sharif said.

“The fulfilment of pledges – including the reinstatement of the deposed judges of the higher judiciary – made by the coalition (partners) to the nation in the Murree Declaration will be its (government’s) first test,” PML-N information secretary and federal Education Minister Ahsan Iqbal said. Talking to reporters at the Raiwind residence of Mr Sharif, where the meeting took place, Mr Iqbal said: “If the (deposed) judges are not reinstated, the judiciary will never get independence. It has to be done in the larger national interest instead of an individual’s interest.”

Another senior party leader, who did not want to be named, told Dawn: “We are obviously anxious about (the press) reports stating that the PPP is deviating from the pledge of reinstating the judges. We are also not happy over Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar’s statement about President Pervez Musharraf and also the PPP’s intention to give some positions to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the federal cabinet.”

Some political circles in Lahore consider the reported differences between the PPP and the PML-N on the issue of judges, the MQM’s possible inclusion in the federal cabinet and Mr Mukhtar’s statement as first signs of fissures emerging in the coalition.

But Mr Iqbal sought to dispel the perception about differences within the coalition and said the two parties were united and bound by the Murree Declaration and the Charter of Democracy.

Khawaja Saad Rafiq also rejected speculations about differences between the main coalition partners. He said it was too early to talk about any possibility of the PML-N pulling out of the coalition. “We are not thinking on those lines. The judges will be reinstated within the stipulated period,” he said.

Describing the defence minister’s statement about President Musharraf as his personal opinion, Mr Iqbal said the PML-N would bring it up in the next cabinet meeting. He said the PML-N considered Mr Musharraf “an illegitimate and unconstitutional president and the last symbol” of dictatorship. He was hopeful that the judges would be restored and all efforts of President Musharraf’s aides to weaken the coalition would fail. On the PPP-MQM relations, he said the MQM, which was opposed to the reinstatement of deposed judges, could not be included in the federal government unless it accepted the Murree Declaration and the Charter of Democracy. But, he said, it was the prerogative of the PPP to talk to the MQM and include it in the Sindh government.

Mr Iqbal said the PML-N meeting had also discussed formation of the government in Punjab.

He said the PML-N ministers at the centre would work diligently for good governance and for attaining targets of the government.