May 08, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 2, 1429

KARACHI, May 7: Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that his party makes no distinction between PCO and non-PCO judges and believes that an increase in the number of judges of the Supreme Court will make no difference.

In an interview to ARY One World on Wednesday, he said that a constitutional package was being prepared by country’s best legal minds and “we will try to reinstate the deposed judges by May 12”.

Describing all judges, including those who were deposed, as PCO judges, he said that in his opinion the appointment of the Chief Justice of Pakistan should be made through a proper process and after a prior scrutiny by parliament.

He said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the JUI-F had advised him to remove the present and former judges of the superior courts because they had taken the oath under the first or the second PCO.

Mr Zardari said that people had voted his party to power for roti, kapra aur makan and that was the focal point of its Feb 18 election campaign.

He ruled out any possibility of impeaching President Pervez Musharraf, although he said that he did not recognise him as a constitutional president. “I spent five years in his prison… but, can we afford it… can our economy afford it?” he asked.

“We have not completed even one and a half months (in power). Let us explore new avenues of water, power and energy.”

He said the PPP did not want politics of confrontation and, therefore, parliament and the prime minister needed a working relationship with the president.

Mr Zardari maintained that like PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif he was also against the 17th Constitutional Amendment. But, he said, if it was repealed, the reserved seats for women and minorities would also be revoked. “We want to strengthen democracy and parliament and many other things but we do not have a two-thirds majority.” He said that to him integrity and solidarity of Pakistan were more important than any other thing. “This is not a public limited company which can default. I see disaster in Pakistan and people should come out to help democracy.”

Mr Zardari said he wanted to resolve the issue of electricity, water and high prices and held seven meetings with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on the issue of flour shortage.