Pakistan Election 2008 - Updates

[zar qurban]

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Deadlock persists over modus operandi; no parliamentary committee prior to NA resolution; go-ahead to talks with militants

By Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: Asif Ali Zardari, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Asfandyar Wali Khan on Tuesday vowed to fulfil the commitment made in the Murree Declaration to restore the deposed judges through a parliamentary resolution within the 30-day deadline and without forming any parliamentary committee.




However, the deadlock persisted over the mode of restoration of the deposed judges after adoption of the resolution. In a much-awaited and trumpeted meeting of heads of the coalition parties of the PDA government, the three leaders along with their aides met at the Zardari House here and decided to implement the Murree Declaration in letter and spirit.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman had also been invited to the meeting but he could not make it on health grounds. Mian Raza Rabbani, Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar, Khwaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Zahid Khan assisted the party heads.

However, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi were conspicuous by their absence. According to sources, though there was a consensus on the implementation of the Murree Declaration they failed to come up with a clear-cut formula or mechanism on how to restore the judges.

Sources said it was decided that another meeting would be held within the next few days to sort out the matter. Sources said the judges would be restorated through a parliamentary resolution as prescribed in the Murree Declaration. Sources said the resolution would not be made part of the constitutional package for the supremacy of parliament.

Sources said, in the first stage, the resolution would be adopted in the National Assembly and the procedure for the restoration of the judges would be decided either through a cabinet or parliamentary committee.

But, sources said, the issue of committee would be decided later on. The meeting was one of a series the coalition heads intend to have regularly. It was decided that the next meeting would be held soon to sort out the issue of formation of committee.

According to sources, the proposal for the formation of a committee was rejected by Mian Nawaz Sharif, who wanted to keep restoration of the judges and the constitutional package separate.

The meeting also took stock of the ongoing war on terror and resolved that as had already been announced, the government will follow the path of negotiations with those who lay down their arms.

There was consensus that a conspiracy was being hatched against the elected democratic government and in this regard concern was raised over recent incidents of violence in Karachi, Lahore and Multan.

The meeting resolved to foil all conspiracies hatched by anti-democratic forces against the elected government. However, none of the coalition heads addressed press conference, as soon after the meeting Mian Nawaz Sharif left for Lahore, and would probably hold talks with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani who would arrive in Lahore on Wednesday.

Later, in a brief chat, Information Minister Sherry Rehman told newsmen that the deposed judges would be restored in accordance with the Bhurban Declaration. She said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. Sherry also said the government was keen to expose conspiracy against the newly-established government.


The News

[zar qurban]

38-member Balochistan cabinet sworn in
Updated at: 1808 PST, Wednesday, April 23, 2008
QUETTA: The 38-member Balochistan cabinet took oath at a ceremony held here at Governor House on Wednesday.

Governor Balochistan, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi administered oath to the provincial cabinet members.

Chief Minister Balochistan, Sardar Aslam Raisani besides civil and army officials were present on the occasion.

The Ministers who took oath included Syed Ahsan Shah, Asad Baloch Ghulam Jan, Asghar Rind, Zafar Zehri, Maulana Abdul Wasay, Ghulam Sarwar, Abdul Samad Akhundzada, Maulana Abdul Bari, Ainullah Shams, Haji Noor Muhammad Nawaz, Rubina Irfan, Nasreen Kethran, Muhammad Khan, Atman Khel, Amanullah Notezai, Begum Shama Perveen Magsi, Zaramrak Khan, Sultan Tareen, Sultan Tareen, Sardar Bizenjo, Qambar Gichki, Pir Shah Nawaz Zehri, Rustam Jamali, Abdur Rehman Mengal, Zahoor Buledi, Sadiq Imrani, Shafiq Ahmed Khan, Jan Ali Changezi, Younis Malazai, Ali Madad, Ismail Gujjar, Agha Irfan Karim, Begum Ghazala Gola, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Abdul Khaliq Bashar Dost, Sardar Masood Looni, Mir Hamal Kalmati, Babu Rahim Mengal, Habib-ur-Rehman Muhammad Hasni and Rustam Jamali.