New Delhi: Former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has withdrawn his ministers from Pakistan’s cabinet.
The PML-N’s decision comes as the second deadline to restore sacked supreme court judges expired. PML-N and Asif Ali Zaradri's PPP have still not been able to break the deadlock on restoration of judges specifically on what to do with the judges sworn in by Pervez Musharraf under the PRO.
The PML-N, however, says that it would continue to sit in the treasury benches and will continue its support to the government from outside.
“We will sit on the benches but not in opposition,” Sharif clarified in a press conference. “We will continue to support democracy in the country. We will continue to support the government from the outside.”
He stated that the PML-N ministers would tender their resignation to the Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Sharif had been strident in demanding that the judges, sacked in November last year by then-General Pervez Musharraf, be reinstated.
“Judges restoration is the life line of the democracy of Pakistan,” he stated. “We want all judges to be restored. It was decided at the time of the formation of government. Now, we have crossed deadline.
“We sent our teams to Dubai to see Zardari but again there was a deadlock,” Sharif told the Press, and pointed out that May 12 was the deadline given.
“All our candidates want restoration of judges and Musharraf tried his level best to not allow it to happen. It is unfair that a dictator is allowed to suspend 60 judges in a second,” he said.
Earlier, Nawaz Sharif had spoken exclusively to CNN-IBN and had said, “We are not party to any government decision till the restoration of judges.” He added that the Executive Committee of the PML-N agreed with the decision.
The PPP had stated that restoration of the judges would take time.
“We will restore judges through a package according to the Constitution,” the PPP told CNN-IBN. “After restoration, we are hopeful that our partners will come back.” Sources in Dubai had also said last week that the judges would be restored through a Parliamentary resolution.
When asked to respond to PML-N’s decision, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said, “It is their decision to withdraw support. Yes, I am told that they are withdrawing ministers but I will continue my support to them in Punjab and PPP ministers will be in Punjab Cabinet.”
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“Both the parties are committed for the betterment of this country. We will continue to do the best for democracy,” he said.
Sharif and Zardari, after the elections, had announced they would reinstate the judges within 60 days of assuming power.
The 60-day deadline ended on Wednesday, leading to fears of a breakdown in relations between the two parties.
On Saturday, Zardari had pleaded helplessness, saying his party lacks the two-thirds majority in Parliament needed to reverse the sackings and that he does not want to “harm the country by way of confrontation”.
On Saturday, Pakistan daily The News had reported that the nation may end up having two Supreme Courts.
The proposal had envisaged a Supreme Court headed by deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry – to deal with criminal and civil cases – and the other by incumbent Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar – to look after constitutional matters. Dogar's Court would also have all the suo motu powers.
The News had quoted unnamed sources close to the presidential camp and said the new constitutional court, to be headed by Justice Dogar, would be called the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and would be empowered to deal with issues such as the interpretation of the constitution, the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), constitutional disputes and the legality of President Musharraf.
The court to be headed by Iftikhar Chaudhry would be a sort of appellate court on the high courts of the four provinces.
Dogar's court would have seven judges. The court of Iftikhar Chaudhry would include the sacked judges.
The US also attempted mediation after Nawaz Sharif and Zardari failed to reach an agreement after seven hours of talks on Saturday.
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