Judges may be restored before June 10

ISLAMABAD — The constitutional package being prepared by Pakistan People's Party for resolving the most contentious issue of judges restoration, and which had forced one of the coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), out of the Federal Cabinet, would likely be tabled before the National Assembly before the budget session.

From the sources privy to the developments on the issue and the background interviews with the leaders of both PML(N) and PPP, it transpired that the constitutional package mainly contained the things already discussed between the two parties on several occasions since the signing of the Bhurban Summit Declaration on March 9.

These sources were of the view that there was no difference whatsoever on the constitutional package PPP intended to introduce for the restoration of the judges and the PML-N's stance on the issue that the judges be restored first and the package be presented for passage by the Parliament later.

It was further informed that the in the drafting of the constitutional package the input from all the stakeholders, including the Presidential camp, was taken and incorporated in the package to make it acceptable to all the stakeholders——political parties, judges and the Establishment.

Terming the reports about dispatching of the draft constitutional package to President House for approval as ridiculous, these sources said that as all the stakeholders were on board, so they need not present the draft resolution to any stakeholder.

These sources were of the view that besides making amendment in the Judges Act 1997 to enhance the strength of the apex court judges from 17 to 27 to accommodate the deposed judges, the package would likely give indemnity to Presidential acts of November 3 and the steps taken in the following days.