June 23, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 18, 1429

LAHORE, June 22: The four-party ruling Pakistan Democratic Alliance stands divided on the issue of restoring the deposed judges through a constitutional amendment, as announced by Law Minister Farooq Naek on Sunday, with the PML-N opposing the plan, the ANP backing it and the JUI-F adopting a middle course.

According to PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, Mian Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari will be meeting in the first week of July to discuss the matter and resolve differences.

He said in case the differences remained unresolved, forces wanting to destabilize the democratic system would be rejoicing. “We are resolved to go to any extent to save the coalition”, said the PML-N leader.

He said his party stuck to its view that the judges should be restored through a resolution and an executive order, not a constitutional amendment for which the coalition did not have the required numerical strength in the Senate.

ANP Secretary-General Ehsan Wyne said his party supported the idea of restoring the judges through a constitutional amendment.

He said a resolution of the National Assembly did not have legal sanction and it was for this reason that the ANP wanted the matter resolved through an amendment.

If Gen Musharraf had unconstitutionally removed the judges, it did not mean the coalition should also pursue an unconstitutional course to reinstate them, said the ANP secretary-general. He said the ANP would support the PPP’s plan to impeach President Musharraf and reinstate the judges.

JUI-F amir Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the PPP and the PML-N alone were dealing with the judges’ issue and they had not taken his party into confidence. He said both the major parties should evolve a consensus on the subject and then refer it to the JUI-F.

“Regrettably”, the JUI-F chief said, “he PPP and the PML-N did not have similar views on the issue, and we have no authority to decide it alone”.

He said if an executive order or a resolution could reinstate the deposed judges, then these instruments should first be used to get reinstated former chief justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Rafiq Tarar as they were all removed from their positions unconstitutionally.

The JUI-F chief said his party was willing to cooperate with the PPP and the PML-N for the annulment of the 17th constitutional amendment, to which both the parties were strongly opposed.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said his party was willing to play its role in returning the Constitution to its October 1999 shape before Gen Musharraf overthrew the PML-N government.