Support after restoration of judges by Monday: Sharif

LAHORE: Taking a tough stand, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Saturday cut short by two days the Wednesday deadline for restoration of the deposed judges and linked the issue to his party's support to PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari's candidature in presidential polls in Pakistan.

"It will take Parliament 10 minutes to pass a resolution for reinstatement of deposed judges after which an Executive Order should be issued by the Prime Minister in the evening," the former prime minister told reporters here after a meeting with PPP leaders at his residence.

Sharif advanced to Monday the deadline set for Wednesday by him for restoration of the judges sacked during last year's emergency rule by former President Pervez Musharraf, who resigned from the post early this week.

All the deposed judges should now be reinstated by Monday in view of the announcement of the presidential election on September six, he said.

Sharif conditioned his party's support to candidature of Zardari for the Presidential polls with the repeal of the 17th amendment empowering a President to dissolve Parliament and dismiss an elected Premier as well as with the restoration of deposed judges.

"We have asked PPP to inform us by Saturday night whether the judges will be reinstated by Monday," Sharif was quoted as saying by ARY One channel, adding that his party would announce its strategy after PPP response.

His remarks came after a three-member PPP delegation led by senior leader Raza Rabbani met Sharif at his at his Raiwind farm house residence here and sought his support for Zardari's candidature for the post of President.


Source : Times Of India