By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani would hand down an executive order for the restoration of the superior courts judges, including the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on April 23 or 25, local newspaper The Nation reported Monday.
The Nation quoted sources privy to the development as saying that a resolution would be tabled in the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday.
The sources close to the main players disclosed that the draft resolution had already been provided to the main coalition partners and the Monday meeting between the four including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, AwamiNational Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal would be of ceremonial nature to just give the go-ahead nod for tabling of the resolution in the NA on Wednesday, according to The Nation.
The sources further disclosed that April 23 is the definite date for the tabling and the passage of the resolution but the executive order may be issued on April 25.
The PPP and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leaders held a meeting in this connection in the southern port city of Karachi on Sunday and according to party insiders the matter with MQM was settled amicably and they would likely not oppose the upcoming resolution for the restoration of the superior courts judges.
There was no difference of opinion on the restoration of the judges among the coalition partners and some of the sources in the government disclosed that even the Presidential Camp was also on board and the matter would not likely be challenged or opposed by the Presidential camp.
The sources said that the draft resolution to be tabled before the NA on Wednesday would strongly call upon the Prime Minister to restore the deposed judges through an executive order, which would either come the same day after the passage of the resolution from the NA or the PM would pass such an order a couple of days later on Friday to restore the judges with immediate effect.
The sources in the ruling coalition disclosed that the constitutional package for the strengthening of the superior judiciary and to give it more powers would follow and would likely be tabled in the National Assembly’s next session.
These sources said that there were some differences, though of minor nature, regarding the judicial reforms package, which would be thrashed out in the coming days and once these differences were removed, the matter would be tabled before the NA for approval.
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, together with scores of judges, were sacked after President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in the country on Nov. 3 in 2007.