Don’t let PML-N renege on its stand on judiciary

By Aziz Narejo, TX, USA

Conflicting reports are coming in from Pakistan on PML-N’s stand on the Zardari scheme of retaining Musharraf’s illegally appointed superior court judges on and after the military dictator’s second coup of 3^rd November, 2007. Khwaja Asif says PML-N will support finance bill including the provision to increase the number of Supreme Court judges to 29 from the present 16. Another PML-N leader Zafar Iqbal Jhagra says PML-N would not accept PCO judges and will not vote for that provision. He however says that PML-N may accept PCO judges as ad-hoc judges!

If PML-N supports increase in the number of SC judges and accepts Musharraf’s hand-picked judges, it would be against the stand the party has taken since November 3 last year. It will also be against the principled stand it took when the party ministers resigned from federal cabinet.

Any move to pave the way for retaining PCO judges would be indemnifying the November 3, 2007 unconstitutional measures of dictator Musharraf. The lawyers, human rights activists and especially PML-N members, workers and sympathizers should put pressure on PML-N leadership not to renege on its stand on judiciary.

Similarly PPP members, workers and sympathizers should put pressure on the leadership of their party to stand by the promise it made in the Bhurban declaration and restore the superior judiciary to pre-emergency position of November 3, 2007.

The issue is unnecessarily being dragged and it is creating more and bigger problems. The country can’t move forward until judiciary issue is solved. There are so many other serious issues that need immediate attention. It is in nobody’s interest to delay a solution to the judiciary issue except for Musharraf and his new and old henchmen.