July 27, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 23, 1429

KARACHI, July 26: Reiterating the government’s commitment to the reinstatement of deposed judges, federal Law Minister Farooq H. Naek on Saturday said that the judges were welcome to resume their responsibilities.

They only had to take a fresh oath under the Third Schedule of the Constitution to resume their responsibilities, he said, adding that the seniority of such judges would not be affected.

Mr Naek was talking to the media at the Quaid-i-Azam International airport on arrival from Islamabad, amid mounting criticism of the Pakistan People’s Party-led government over the judiciary issue.

Amid reports that the government was secretly trying to woo some of the deposed judges of the Sindh and Lahore high courts and also the Supreme Court, Mr Naek denied any such move and said there were no secret contacts with the deposed judges.

“No backdoor diplomacy is going on. We believe in independence and supremacy of the judiciary and we will welcome any judge who wishes to resume his responsibility,” he remarked.

The minister said he wanted to see deposed judges take oath under the aforesaid schedule of the Constitution.

Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan has, however, declared that any judge who takes fresh oath will be considered a PCO judge.

Mr Naek said that restoration of judges was being delayed because the PPP’s coalition partners had yet to come up with their views and suggestions on the draft constitutional package.

He said the idea behind sending the draft was to resolve the contentious points in a joint meeting of the coalition.

While Mr Naek was reiterating the government’s stance, there were reports that attorney general had arrived in the city.