ISLAMABAD, Dec 8: Pakistan People’s Party Senator Safdar Abbasi has said only parliament can reinstate the judges who had not taken the oath under the Provisional Constitution Order.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, he said the PPP was neither opposed to judicial activism nor was it against the deposed judges, but the proper forum for their reinstatement was parliament.

Asked if the PPP would reinstate the deposed judges if it was voted to power, he said: “Let us see how much seats we get in parliament and then we will see what to do.”

About a proposal of Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan that candidates for the election should take an oath that they would work for reinstatement of the judges if they were elected, he said Mr Ahsan had made the proposal as president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. “We are looking into it,” he added.

Answering a question, he said Lt-Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia had unconditionally joined the PPP. Sources in the party had, however, said the former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman would contest the election for a National Assembly seat from Lahore.

Responding to another question, Senator Abbasi said nomination papers of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had been challenged on frivolous grounds and added that she was qualified to contest the polls.

He was confident that the PPP would win the election with a big margin, despite rigging plans by the government. He alleged that the administration in every province, particularly in Punjab, was actively working to bring the PML (Q) back into power.