July 26, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 22, 1429

PESHAWAR, July 25: The Leader of the House in the Senate, Mr Raza Rabbani, has said the ministry of law is working on a new formula for reinstatement of the deposed judges.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said the coalition government was committed to restoring the judiciary to the pre-November 3 position.

He said there were two opinions about reinstatement of the judges, adding that there were a number of people who thought that the judges should be reinstated through a constitutional package while others contended that it could be done with an executive order.

“The law ministry is working on a formula to find a middle way and prevent a clash among institutions,” Mr Rabbani said, adding that the government would not give any deadline in this regard.

In reply to a question about the Supreme Court Bar Association’s announcement that it would launch another long march if the judges were not restored by Aug 14, he said it was lawyers’ fundamental right to organise marches and rallies.

Asked when would the government invite President Pervez Musharraf to address a joint session of parliament, he said: “Musharraf has no right to address this parliament.”

He said people had given a clear verdict on February 18 and Pervez Musharraf should have quit the presidency afterwards.

“The longer Pervez Musharraf remains in power the more unstable the country will be,” he said, adding that the coalition would impeach the president whenever it was in a position to do so.

Mr Rabbani said that in Peshawar he had held meetings with Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti and Speaker Kiramatullah Khan Chaghermati and discussed with them various constitutional matters and issues between the centre and the province.

He said he would also visit other provinces to discuss political issues with chief ministers and speakers.

He said he had discussed with Mr Hoti the issue of the new National Finance Commission award and asked him to nominate NWFP representatives to the commission.

He said the previous commission was unconstitutional because the president had no authority to announce the award. He said the 1973 Constitution did not authorise the president to announce the NFC award, adding that the coalition government would soon announce a new award.

He said the Council of Common Interests would be reconstituted to resolve some key issues, including water distribution.

Mr Rabbani said the PPP had prepared a constitutional package under which the Concurrent List would be removed from the Constitution. He said that the sixth schedule would also be removed because it did not allow the assemblies to amend laws without the consent of the president.

Senator Rabbani said the government had adopted a three-pronged strategy to combat militancy and restore peace in tribal areas and the NWFP.