Zardari, Sharif agree to clip Musharraf’s powers

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Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif agreed in a meeting on Tuesday to clip the powers of President Pervez Musharraf, but made no headway on the lingering issue of the reinstatement of the sacked judges.

After their meeting the first since their inconclusive talks in London that resulted in resignations of PML-N ministers from the federal cabinet the two leaders avoided the media and even their spokespeople were cautious in revealing the details of the two-hour meeting at Punjab House.

Sources privy to the meeting said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif kept insisting de-linking the restoration of the judiciary sacked on November 3, 2007, from the proposed 62-point constitutional package.

“Nawaz Sharif stuck to his stance that the reinstatement of deposed judges should not be linked with the constitutional amendment package,” a source said.

The PML-N wants the reinstatement of the sacked judiciary in line with the Murree Declaration, and is ready to support the much anticipated reforms package in return. The sources said Zardari assured the PML-N that the sacked judges would soon be restored, but did not go into details.

Impeachment: They said former premier Nawaz Sharif also pressed Zardari for the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf as soon as possible. “Nawaz was of the view that the coalition government should impeach President Musharraf when they move the constitutional reforms package in parliament,” a source said.

The sources said Nawaz Sharif assured his party’s support to the PPP in the coming budget session. Zardari, Aftab Shaban Mirani, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Farzana Raja represented the PPP in the meeting, and Nawaz, Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Nisar Ali Khan and Ahsan Iqbal represented the PML-N.

Talking to reporters, PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said Zardari shared the key points of the proposed package in the meeting. “Zardari briefed our party about the highlights of constitutional package … the copy of draft package will be handed over to us in the coming days,” he said.

He said the PML-N would support the reforms package if it is in line with the Charter of Democracy (CoD). “Zardari told us that this constitutional package is not final and PPP will seek input from all the coalition partners,” he said.

Iqbal said the PML-N wanted the restoration of the sacked judges. “They also agreed that sacked judges should be reinstated soon,” he said.

Iqbal said the PML-N also wants impeachment of President Musharraf to let democracy flourish in the country.

PPP leader Farzana Raja told reporters there was complete harmony between the two parties and that they agreed on transferring the president’s executive powers to the prime minister in line with the CoD.

The CoD a pact signed by the late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz calls for clipping the powers of the president including his authority to dissolve the assemblies and appointment of armed forces chiefs and governors.

What people want: AP quoted Farzana Raja as saying Musharraf’s impeachment would depend on “whatever the people of Pakistan will want”.

“Our foremost objective is that through the constitutional package all powers that have been snatched from the parliament, they have to be taken back,” she said.

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