Pak coalition partners set up committee to restore sacked judges

Islamabad, Aug 19 : The four coalition partners in the Pakistan government last evening set up a committee to devise a framework for the restoration of sacked judges in accordance with the Murree Declaration as soon as possible.

According to sources privy to the development, the leaders of the four alliance partners met at Zardari House after former President Pervez Musharraf's announced his resignation, to devise a strategy for the implementation of their joint agenda in a meeting that lasted for more than four hours.

"The coalition partners made a committee headed by senators Ishaq Dar and Raza Rabbani to work out the modalities for the restoration of sacked judges within a couple of days in accordance with the Murree Declaration," the Daily Times quoted the sources as saying.

Meanwhile, in another related development, lawyers gave the coalition government a 72-hour deadline to reinstate all the judges in line with the Islamabad Declaration signed on August 6.

"The government should reinstate the judges within three days. Lawyers would stage countrywide sit-ins if the judges are not restored," the paper quoted Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Aitzaz Ahsan as saying.

Aitzaz said lawyers should remove black flags from bar rooms and celebrate a "Yaum-e-Nijat" (Day of Deliverance) today.

Pakistan Bar Council's (PBC) Hamid Khan said that Musharraf's resignation was the first step towards their goal. He said the "Go Musharraf, go" campaign had been successful and the government should now restore all the judges "as soon as possible and not later than three days" in line with the promise it had made.

Lahore High Court Bar Association President Anwar Kamal said Pakistan "has got rid of a dictator" and the coalition government should now restore the sacked judges without delay. He also asked the government to improve living conditions of the masses, who were suffering because of inflation.

Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Rana Asadullah said the coalition government should restore all judges without delay, honouring their word and acknowledging the lawyers' movement "which rid the country of a dictator who ruined all institutions".

SCBA spokesman Muhammad Azhar Siddique said the new president should take oath from Iftikhar Chaudhry because he was now the constitutional chief justice of Pakistan.

ANI