Sharif to pull out ministers over judges’ issue
Nawaz Sharif on Monday decided to pull out PML-N ministers from the government over differences with PPP on the thorny issue of reinstating judges sacked by president Pervez Musharraf, raising doubts over the survival of the 43-day old coalition.
By Agencies |
ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif on Monday decided to pull out PML-N ministers from the government over differences with PPP on the thorny issue of reinstating judges sacked by president Pervez Musharraf, raising doubts over the survival of the 43-day old coalition. The PML-N ministers will submit their resignations to prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday, Mr Sharif told a crowded press conference at the end of a marathon meeting of top party leaders here.
PML-N will remain in the Pakistan People���s Party-led coalition and extend issue-based support to the government, he said. Mr Sharif���s party has nine ministers in the 24-member cabinet, which was sworn in on March 31. Sharif, 58, who was deposed as premier in a military coup by Musharraf in 1999, said his party would ���not rest��� till the judges were restored and Musharraf was removed from his post.
���We are quitting the cabinet because the promise to reinstate the judges was not fulfilled,��� Mr Sharif said while referring to the May 12 deadline which ended on Monday. ���We wanted the coalition to remain intact because it was very necessary for the health of Pakistan���s political and democratic system. But we had to take this step because if the judges are not restored, the consequences will be grave,��� he said.
The November 3 sacking of the judges by president Pervez Musharraf was ���shameful���. ���A dictator removed judges to suit his own interest. They have to be restored with dignity,��� the PML-N chief said. Monday���s decision came against the backdrop of last week���s talks between Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and their close aides in London which failed to bridge their differences on modalities to restore the sacked judges.
The PML-N move will raise questions over the stability of the government and the process of the country���s transition to democracy.
���We don���t want to be part of any package that punishes judges who stand up to a dictator and reward those who bow before him. The judges should be reinstated to roll back the actions taken by Musharraf during the emergency,��� he said.
���It will be more harmful than anything else if the judges are not reinstated. It is related to life of Pakistan. So I think, for now, this matter which we are facing, is the most serious one before the nation in last 50 years,��� he said.
The PML-N decision was announced by Sharif who presided over a marathon meeting of the party���s parliamentary party and central working committee. A second deadline set by Sharif for reinstating 60 judges deposed by Musharraf during last-year���s emergency expired on Monday with no signs of a meeting point on the issue between Sharif and Zardari.
���I have to say with sadness that we(ministers) are leaving the government. I am personally very saddened by this but we are equally sad that the deposed judges have not been restored,��� Sharif said.
���We have decided to quit the cabinet. Our ministers will be relinquishing their posts tomorrow. They will be going to the prime minister���s house to tender their resignations,��� Sharif said adding that the ���nation is more important than the government���.
Sharif made it clear that his party would not take any decision that would strengthen what he called a ���dictatorship��� under Musharraf. ���We will not be part of any conspiracy aimed at strengthening dictatorships,��� he said.
���We want the unconditional, dignified and honourable return of the judges,��� he said explaining that his party would not destabilise the government. ���We will not sit on opposition benches for the time being,��� Sharif said. Sharif said his party will continue to sit with the PPP in the treasury benches and support the government on an ���issue-to-issue basis���.
In his first reaction, PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the PML-N���s decision did not signal the ���beginning of the end of the coalition government���. The PML-N���s move was expected as Sharif had made the reinstatement of judges a key condition for joining the coalition.
���We are the second biggest party and we had only one condition when we agreed to join the government due to Zardari���s persuasion ��� the restoration of the judges,��� Sharif said.
PML-N will remain in the Pakistan People���s Party-led coalition and extend issue-based support to the government, he said. Mr Sharif���s party has nine ministers in the 24-member cabinet, which was sworn in on March 31. Sharif, 58, who was deposed as premier in a military coup by Musharraf in 1999, said his party would ���not rest��� till the judges were restored and Musharraf was removed from his post.
���We are quitting the cabinet because the promise to reinstate the judges was not fulfilled,��� Mr Sharif said while referring to the May 12 deadline which ended on Monday. ���We wanted the coalition to remain intact because it was very necessary for the health of Pakistan���s political and democratic system. But we had to take this step because if the judges are not restored, the consequences will be grave,��� he said.
The November 3 sacking of the judges by president Pervez Musharraf was ���shameful���. ���A dictator removed judges to suit his own interest. They have to be restored with dignity,��� the PML-N chief said. Monday���s decision came against the backdrop of last week���s talks between Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and their close aides in London which failed to bridge their differences on modalities to restore the sacked judges.
The PML-N move will raise questions over the stability of the government and the process of the country���s transition to democracy.
���We don���t want to be part of any package that punishes judges who stand up to a dictator and reward those who bow before him. The judges should be reinstated to roll back the actions taken by Musharraf during the emergency,��� he said.
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���It will be more harmful than anything else if the judges are not reinstated. It is related to life of Pakistan. So I think, for now, this matter which we are facing, is the most serious one before the nation in last 50 years,��� he said.
The PML-N decision was announced by Sharif who presided over a marathon meeting of the party���s parliamentary party and central working committee. A second deadline set by Sharif for reinstating 60 judges deposed by Musharraf during last-year���s emergency expired on Monday with no signs of a meeting point on the issue between Sharif and Zardari.
���I have to say with sadness that we(ministers) are leaving the government. I am personally very saddened by this but we are equally sad that the deposed judges have not been restored,��� Sharif said.
���We have decided to quit the cabinet. Our ministers will be relinquishing their posts tomorrow. They will be going to the prime minister���s house to tender their resignations,��� Sharif said adding that the ���nation is more important than the government���.
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Sharif made it clear that his party would not take any decision that would strengthen what he called a ���dictatorship��� under Musharraf. ���We will not be part of any conspiracy aimed at strengthening dictatorships,��� he said.
���We want the unconditional, dignified and honourable return of the judges,��� he said explaining that his party would not destabilise the government. ���We will not sit on opposition benches for the time being,��� Sharif said. Sharif said his party will continue to sit with the PPP in the treasury benches and support the government on an ���issue-to-issue basis���.
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In his first reaction, PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the PML-N���s decision did not signal the ���beginning of the end of the coalition government���. The PML-N���s move was expected as Sharif had made the reinstatement of judges a key condition for joining the coalition.
���We are the second biggest party and we had only one condition when we agreed to join the government due to Zardari���s persuasion ��� the restoration of the judges,��� Sharif said.
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