By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has issued a long charge-sheet against the deposed superior court judges, saying they never came to his rescue and were responsible for his eight years in jail.
In the clearest indication that the PPP may not stand by the Murree Declaration to restore the judges, the PPP leader told his central executive committee in Naudero that he was not interested in the restoration of personalities but wanted a judicial reforms package.
Analysts said things were getting complicated for Zardari, both within the PPP and outside, as he was moving closer to allies of President Musharraf and drifting away from his coalition partner Nawaz Sharif.
As Zardari issued his charge-sheet against the judges, Makhdoom Amin Fahim demanded the disbandment of the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians which he heads. Others in the PPP blasted the party leadership’s decision to join hands with the MQM.
On the other hand, the PML-N is determined not to compromise on the issue of restoration of the deposed judges through a resolution in the National Assembly. The party says it seeks strict adherence to the Murree Declaration and would not accept any formula or constitutional amendment that restores all the deposed judges minus chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
“After gaining so much because of the political initiative that Zardari has taken in the recent weeks, the PPP co-chairperson is on the verge of losing all,” a senior PPP leader told this correspondent from Naudero, revealing the situation in the interior Sindh was extremely tense after Zardari’s visit to the MQM headquarters popularly known as Nine Zero.
In a post-dinner gathering of the PPP’s central executive committee, the source said, many PPP leaders minced no words in criticising Zardari’s decision to woo the MQM. PPP MNA Shugufta Jamani and Sethi Ishaq were among those who expressed strong resentment and wondered how the PPP could join hands with the MQM, which was responsible for the killing of PPP workers.
“The Sindhi people have not given a mandate to Zardari to thrust upon them his personal agenda of humiliation in the name of reconciliation,” a PPP leader told The News, adding, “We strongly oppose and condemn the PPP-MQM coalition in Sindh.”
The leader asked: “Who caused the May 12th incident? Who was behind the Oct 18 blast? Who killed Murad Baloch and Munawar Suhrawardy? But you still went to the Nine Zero to express solidarity with the MQM against the wishes of the nation. Now it’s time for us to rethink our support for you, Mr Zardari,” said the source, who sounded quite disturbed.
“There is a wave of anger,” a PPP leader said. The likes of Raja Pervez Ashraf, Shah Mehmud Qureshi, Jahangir Badr, however, showered Zardari with praises and called him a great leader. Badr even crossed all limits by saying that the PPP had become more popular under Zardari.
Zardari, however, defended his party’s rapprochement with the MQM and termed it a sensible political move having far-reaching impact. He said he wanted to open all political avenues for his son, Bilawal, and never liked to see the doors of Nine Zero closed for him. He said the MQM would be forming a government with the PPP.
Aitzaz Ahsan, who sought the restoration of the deposed judges, told the meeting that it would be in the interest of the party to get the judges restored.
Zardari, according to sources, came hard on the issue of the judges’ restoration. According to one source, Zardari snubbed the widely-respected lawyer leader and said he knew the worth of the judges whose restoration was being sought by the lawyers’ community.
Zardari said these were the same judges who had earlier taken oath under the PCO and validated the military rule. Referring to his jail life, a source quoted him as saying that he was let down by these judges, who had even refused to release him on parole to attend the funeral of his nephew. He said he was allowed only a two-hour parole despite Farooq H Naek’s pleading before the same judges.
He said the then Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed had also refused him a parole. He termed the same judiciary biased, which he said was responsible for his eight years in jail. Party sources reported that Asif Ali Zardari was quite emotional while speaking on the judges’ issue. One source said he talked of the restoration of the judges but linked it to a constitutional package. He said the party was interested in the independence of the judiciary and not in personalities.
A party leader said he was disappointed to hear what he termed the charge-sheet issued by the PPP co-chairperson against the deposed judges. According to him, almost 60 per cent of the co-chairman’s speech was on Aitzaz Ahsan and the judges.
While the PPP is clearly seen connecting the judges restoration issue with a constitutional package, the PML-N is determined not to budge from what had been agreed between the two parties in Murree on March 9, 2008.
“We don’t accept the ‘Minus-One Formula’ or any such solution that excludes Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,” PML-N minister Ahsan Iqbal told this correspondent, adding the “Minus-One Formula” would mean accepting March 9, 2007 Gen Musharraf’s action of suspending chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as legitimate.
Ahsan said as per the Murree Declaration, the deposed judges would be restored through a resolution. Ahsan categorically said that the question of any constitutional amendment for the judges’ restoration did not arise.
Ahsan said the coalition was committed to the Murree Declaration and clarified that the PML-N was not averse to a mutually-agreed constitutional package having no link with the restoration of the judges.
Courtesy: The News, 5/4/2008
2 Responses to “Zardari issues ‘charge-sheet’”
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Mr. Abbasi,
Your articles reflect and match Nawaz Sharif’s agenda. Wonder! if you are his spokesman. You seem to have a one point agenda-write against anyone or everyone who does not support the Lahori goon.
If you are really a journalist, start behaving like one and not like someone who seems to be well paid by Nawaz.
Remarks given by pshamim are regrettable. In fact majority of people agree what Mr. Ansar has high lighted in his article. I am not a member of any political party and also not a blind supporter of any one. As a pakistani I am deeply disappointed by the performance of first four months of the new government. PPP prime minister seems to be powerless and is not authorized to tackle major issues at his own . Mr. Zardari is busy in deploying his trusted fellows and friends on important orgens of the state. He is least interested in solving the major issues facing the nation. He Promise to the nation and then defy itself. A few months back before elections , the economy was satisfactory but now it is in worse condition. If concreate measures are not taken immediately, pakistan is likely to go back to the situations of ninties. No one stops the present government to do for the betterment of people. People gave heavy mendate to ppp and pml. n. and brought them in power hoping that their sufferings and problems will be minimized and they will get some relief. But so far elected government did nothing and in fact increased their sufferings many folds. Prices of necessary commodites are gone too high and beyond the reach of commen person. Many people understand the fact that MR. ZARDARI does not want to solve any issue. He is delibrately choosing a path on which end result will be zero. He want to restore judiciary with some so called constitutional package propogated from last four monthes knowing that such a package will not get through National assembly and Senate. Mr. Zardari is loosing the supposts of its allies as he is not willing to act with their consansus. We suggest Mr. Zardari that please do not abuse the mendate given to your party by the people and take sincere stepts to solve their sufferings . Every pakistani salute to shaheed Benazir Bhutto for her courage and wise leadership . Allaha has given you chance and do what was dream of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. As you are well aware that to-day the nation is plagued by poverty, lawlessness, terrorism , extermism and political unstability. No investor will invest in Pakistan under present circumstances. Join hands with your allies and move fast to solve issues.