KARACHI, Sept 12: The government had to opt for reinstatement of individual judges because of the stalemate created by the PML-N over the PPP-proposed package of constitutional amendments, Attorney-General Latif Khan Khosa told a gathering of lawyers here on Friday evening.

Addressing an Iftar reception and later talking to reporters, he said the judges could not be restored through an executive order and a constitutional amendment was the only way out. The package proposed by the PPP, Mr Khosa, who also represents the ruling party in the Senate, claimed was based on a broad agreement with the (former) coalition partner, PML-N. But for reasons best known to it, the PML-N chose to sit over it and finally express its disagreement over some of the crucial provisions.

The PPP, he said, could not go it alone and needed the PML-N support to carry through the amendment. The method of re-appointment was adopted to fulfil its commitment, Things, however, would be different after March, 2009, when the PPP would have attained an overall majority in both the houses of parliament.

Replying to a question, he said he never contacted deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry for reinstatement nor was it his mandate to do so.