Sharif vows to restore deposed judges if voted to power

Islamabad, Feb 1 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today vowed to restore deposed judges if he was voted to power in the February 18 general election.

Addressing the Rawalpindi Bar Association, Sharif said: "The restoration of judges is the first point of our party's manifesto."

He said his party's candidates would gather on February 6 in Lahore to take an oath that if elected, they would focus their efforts on getting the deposed judges restored.

"God willing, under no circumstances will we allow any extension of the steps taken on November 3 (when emergency powers were proclaimed)," he added.

He also welcomed the release of a Pakistani lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, who has spearheaded opposition to President Pervez Musharraf. He was detained under emergency powers that Musharraf invoked on November 3.

Ahsan was released late on Thursday.

ANI