ISLAMABAD, 19 May 2008 — Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party said yesterday it would join lawyers in street protests to press for the restoration of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf.
The move could further strain Pakistan Muslim League (N)’s relations with Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party, the dominant partner in the national coalition. A junior partner in the government, the Awami National Party, indirectly criticized Sharif’s party yesterday, saying it was against anyone making political mileage out of the judges issue.
Leaders of the Pakistan lawyers’ movement said this weekend they would organize a “long march” starting June 10 to demand that the judges be reinstated. The route is to include the cities of Multan, Lahore and the capital, Islamabad.
“We not only will fully support but (will) be part and parcel of this long march,” said PML (N) spokesman Sadiqul Farooq, adding that Sharif would personally participate.
Farooq said his party is not trying to destabilize the government, which is only about seven weeks old, but wants to remind it “to fulfill its commitment” to reinstate the judges.
Last week, Sharif pulled his ministers from the Cabinet over the judges issue. Then came the controversial appointment of a governor in Punjab province who is allied with Zardari’s party.
“We are in favor of an independent judiciary and want all the sacked judges reinstated,” Asfandyar Wali Khan, the chief of the Awami National Party, said in Peshawar. But he said no one should make political mileage out of the issue.
Khan said he sincerely wanted PML (N) to be part of the coalition government.
