Govt moots concessions

ISLAMABAD - After taking all the coalition partners on board, the PPP-led government Saturday unfolded a reconciliatory plan to resolve the controversial judges' issue under Charter of Democracy, saying the government would file a review petition in the Supreme Court regarding disqualification of Sharif brothers.
The decision was taken during a meeting between Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr where the PM called on him Saturday evening, spokesman for the President Farhatullah Babar announced. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has also taken all the alliance partners into confidence on the decisions taken.
The Prime Minister also telephoned Asfandyar Wali Khan, Maulana Fazalur Rahman, Altaf Hussain, Munir Aurakzai and Mir Israrullah Zehri.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira who is also in charge of the Information Ministry and Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khurshid Shah were also present in the meeting.
Both the President and Prime Minister agreed that the issue of judiciary and restoration of deposed judges would be resolved in accordance with the principles laid down in the Charter of Democracy; a document signed by both the former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Sources privy to the developments told TheNation on Saturday that the said package was agreed following the guarantee of Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and world powers including UK and US.
"Now the plan will be implemented in days and the President cannot deviate from the commitment due to the surety of powerful circles within and outside the country," they hinted.
They said the federal government would move the apex court by filing a review petition not later than Monday (tomorrow) and the issue of judges would be referred to the Parliamentary committee to decide it as soon as possible.
"Most of the judges sitting at the higher and superior judiciary may be relieved as most of them took oath under the provisional constitution orders (both 2000 and 2007)," a source within the ruling alliance explained.
The government on one hand agreed to resolve all the issues including the judges' restoration under CoD, which was demanded by the PML-N leadership repeatedly but on the other, according to the source, the government tried to push the opposition to a confusing situation.
However, another source stated that the Prime Minister would lead the negotiations and a major role instead of the President to put an end to the prevailing crisis.
Referring to the changing role, the source mentions, the PM had contacted all the leaders of the alliance and he is likely to be at the front in the coming days, as he is also acceptable even to the opposition parties.
However, the final fate of the package would be decided once the opposition parties and legal fraternity give a nod to the draft plan.