It is pretty obvious from Zardari’s just concluded interview with Shahid Masood on Meray Mutabiq that he has backed out of the Murree Accord.
Now what?
Will PML-N have the spine to stand up for its principles?
Will the lawyers take to the street? Will they get beaten up?
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
No reason to believe that.
As PM Gilani said, judges will be restored, only thing left is the details
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
it does look like zardari is backtracking, while simultaneously trying to get some of the golden boys image off the judges.
he will most likely try to bring about a weakened judiciary.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
[Disclaimer: I haven't seen or heard Dr Masood's program]
In Pakistan politics (and politics pretty much around the world), no one actually "backs out" of any agreement. They just come up with a more nuanced position. Things need to happen. Procedures need to be followed. Consensus needs to be built. Yip. Yap. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Backing out of any public agreement means you made a mistake. This reflects badly on your decision-making skills. You made a mistake once, you will make more in the future. However, coming up with a more "detailed position" means you have consulted with others and since you are such a great politician and want unity and common purpose so you decidaed to take everyone along and follow the process.
Big difference! :D
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
he said in no uncertain terms the 30-day thing was a political decision and we dont believe in it.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
He didn't back out, he knows that life gives a few chances. He would not like to spend 8-10 more years behind the bars. After all his character and acts remain dubious to many . He is just trying to play his cards right, so he won't repent later on , especially when he is power.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
They r yet to decide when this 30 day deadline will start. Sherry said it hasn't started yet, a senator from her party said 13 days to go... crisis within the camp.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
He has backed out of the agreement and there is no reason to believe that Muree accord will be implement. Now the question is will PMLN and NS stick with PPP govt (which is new lota league) or they part away and play part of opposition?
Zardari terms Murree accord a political statement
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
PPP co-chairman says parliament to debate constitutional package, resolution together; the process may take two weeks; talks to Dr Shahid Masood in Geo’s ‘Meray Mutabiq’
News Desk
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Monday went back on his word about judges’ restoration in 30 days, agreed in the Murree Declaration.
Talking to Dr Shahid Masood in a Geo News programme “Meray Mutabiq”, he said what he along with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif announced in Murree was just a political statement and it could be interpreted in different ways.
He said, “What he said was not a Hadith and the Murree Declaration was just a political agreement.” He said the countdown for judges’ return was being carried out only by Geo that was off the air and his party restored it. When reminded that the ban on Geo was lifted before the elections, he said the channel was restored without its main actors. He told Dr Shahid Masood that you yourself were among those who were removed from the scene.
He said his government would never ban private TV channels for airing dissenting views. He said, in clear terms, that a resolution and an executive order for judges’ restoration would be accompanied by a constitutional package and these would be debated by parliament thoroughly.
When asked how many more days this process could take, he said at least two weeks. However, he did not commit to this deadline either. He said no existing judge of the Supreme Court would be shown the door.
When pointed out that in this case the number of judges would swell to unprecedented level, he said the population of the country has increased so there was a need for a larger Supreme Court.
He said the deposed judges return was not his mission, though he wanted to solve this problem because he thought that an injustice had been committed. He said the restoration of the judges is a complex issue and experts need time to sort it out. He said the question arises if an executive order is issued for the return of the judges and the court issues a stay order, then what would be the recourse.
He frequently referred to the excesses he faced during his eight-year confinement. He said he and his friends remained victim of the judiciary. He said the Supreme Court reverted a case against him to the accountability court despite the fact that he had already undergone the sentence. The accountability court judge, he remarked, told him that when a superior court could not give him justice, he would take the case afresh.
He said though it was not mentioned in the Murree Declaration, the judges were released by a single statement of the PPP premier. He disagreed with the view that the winds of change in the country started blowing following the historic no of the deposed chief justice to President Musharraf and the subsequent movement by lawyers.
He said the people did not vote for a lawyer whose both legs were broken and another PPP lawyer Zamurad Khan whose hand was broken during the lawyers’ movement. He said people have given them vote for ‘Roti, Kapra Aur Makan’ and not for judges’ restoration.
He said neither he wanted nor he thought that Nawaz Sharif would part ways with him after April 30, the original deadline for the restoration of the judges. He said his main agenda is reconciliation and the restoration of the judges was only a part of it. He said he visited the graves of erstwhile rivals in the spirit of reconciliation.
He said not a single megawatt was added to the electricity in the country during the last eight years. He said he wanted to take stock of the economic situation of the country. He said he had applied for tickets to the party and may contest polls from Larkana and a few seats from the Punjab. However, he said the final decision in this regard would be taken later.
Zardari said he wanted to see Aitzaz in parliament, though the latter boycotted the elections. The decision about awarding ticket to Aitzaz, he said, would be taken by the party board. He said he did not want to become prime minister even if he decided to contest the polls and became a member of parliament.
He categorically said that Yousuf Raza Gilani would remain premier for five years. If he wanted to get this slot, he would have got it in the beginning as a matter of his right, Zardari said. He said a sort of post-mortem of late Benazir Bhutto was undertaken at the Rawalpindi Hospital and the establishment kept the report secret. He said the concerned doctors would be asked about this in due course of time. He said he did not want Musharraf to continue as president for five years.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
its a big slap in nawaz shirifs face, he should immediatly get his members out of the parliment and head back to his luxary apartment in park lane or his palace in jeddah.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
Those who were behind Judges boycotted the election (Lawyer called to boycott the election) and that means those who voted, voted against the call of Lawyers and Judges. That means those who got into parliament did not get vote to reinstate judges or to do anything about judges. They got votes to do work for poor of Pakistan. So, those who are making judge issue as main issue are trying to go against the mandate they got from voters, who voted them to solve their problems.
I think issue of judges is only PML(N) issue who are also pay master of media, lawyers and judges, and thus are using media to make judge issue as big issue calling the issue as 'problem of 16 crore awaam, as if 16 crore awaam care for Iftikhar', so that thugs of PML(N) can use judges to fulfil their devious political ambitions through court once judges get reinstated.
I would not be surprised if Iftikhar would get reinstated than Qazi (as he already announced his intention) would call to make NRO and all what present judges have made legal as illegal. Further, NS would try to do all so that last election become null and void or President use 52-B to dissolve the parliament and call of another election, so that he can get another chance to win election and become Prime Minister (well, that is his wishful thinking and he has illusion that if next election would happen, PML(Q) voters would vote him, giving PML(N) huge majority in next election). If NS would think that he may not be able to win election, he would try to do all to start a fight with presidency resulting in another martial law.
It looks like NS thinks that PPP is stupid and he would be able to make them fool with his lies. It seems that PPP and Zardari knows NS and devious personalities of PML(N) leaderships full of liars, very well. So, whatever PPP would do, they would make sure that if Iftikhar get reinstated, he would not have enough judicial power and would become useless for NS and PML(N) devious plans,
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/images/2008/04/29/20080429_ed03.jpg
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
**PPP, PML-N talks for judges’ restoration failed **
DUBAI: The talks for restoration of judges between Pakistan People’s Party and Muslim League-N were ended in failure on Tuesday. Muslim League-N delegation is returning home in a flight at 3:00 pm from Dubai after the failure of talks.
**According to the sources the leaders of Muslim League-N have told their PPP coalition partners that they could announce about quitting the ministries tomorrow evening. **
The final decision however will be made and announced by the party chief Mian Nawaz Sharif in a policy statement.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
Still sorting out the details
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/updates.asp?id=44528
Nawaz Sharif to leave for Dubai today
ISLAMABAD: Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif will leave for Dubai today in a bid to end the stalemate in talks on restoration of judges with Peoples Party.
He would meet Co Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari tomorrow.
There is only one day left in a deadline for the restoration of the judges. Sources said that this would be the final dialogue between Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
At least people are now accepting the realities now, especially in believing the statements of politicians like Zardari. He systematically trashed the Muree declaration in the Geo interview yesterday, and along with the interview he gave the BBC he spewed venom against Iftikhar and the “deposed” judges.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
More trashing of the Muree Declaration by the PPP.
Judges restoration only through constitutional package: **Sherry **
**Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms. Sherry Rehman said has said judges reinstatement is possible only through a constitutional package and not with a resolution. Talking to media here on Tuesday, she said an act of Parliament is necessary in this regard. **
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief, Nawaz Sharif before heading for Dubai reiterated at Lahore air port that judges will be restored with the passing of a resolution in line with Murree Declaration.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
So far, these discussions have gone much like this
Shahbaz: We want all judges to be restored.
Zardari: What you mean by we? Can you be specific.
Shahbaz: We, means me, Nawaz bhai, Chaudry Nisar, and our whole party.
Zardari: I thought you would say 'we' means nation.
Shahbaz: That too.
Zardari: But nation wants lot of other things, I am just not sure if this is on the top of their list
Shahbaz: This is. The whole thing started with lawyers movement.
Zardari: I know it started from that. But there are other issues and thats why we, not you, emerged as the top party.
Shahbaz: We discussed this before in Murrey that we wont talk like this. We both are the winners.
Zardari: OK, we both are the winners. Then why only should you decided CJ's fate.
Shahbaz: No, we want us to decide this.
Zardari: We already decided. We don't have to agree on everything.
Shahbaz: I know, but this does'nt have to be one of those issues.
Zardari: You could say that about any issue. The point is, we are two different parties, with different agendas. You guys should not forget who is the boss here.
Shahbaz: But nation expects from us to restore judges.
Zardari: From you, not from us.
Shahbaz: If we don't restore judges, and still be the part of coallition, our voters will be upset.
Zardari: So what. You will lose the next election. Good for us.
Shahbaz: Ok then we will have to leave the coallition, to save our face.
Zardari: Thats your problem.
Shahbaz: But we are in this together, remember the Murree pact.
Zardari: First you remember. Its you, who have been tagging along with us. We can win it without you. You have nothing to offer us.
Shahbaz: Ok, I am offering you 10% of punjab's revenue, how about that?
Zardari: I will get the 10% of US aid, as long as I agree to keep Musharraf. If I bring back judges, they will pull Musharraf down, and I lose the 10% of US aid in this process. This deal will not work for me.
Shahbaz: What if I offer you 100% of punjab's revenue?
Zardari: Hmm. Good. Show me the exact amount. I will take this figure to USA, and see if they can match it. I will talk to you tomorrow.
Shahbaz: Damn it. Ok we will talk tomorrow.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
It is good for prime minister of country for policy making and new law etc, Zardari for only party matter.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
I think PPP now can officially claim the new title of the Lota League & its hard to believe that the NS is the guy who looks like a statesman.
Ratting on the judges?
Plain words
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
M B Naqvi
By judges one means the judges deposed through the PCO manoeuvre by Pervez Musharraf on Nov 3 last year. The event’s background is clear. The year-long lawyers’ movement has inspired, indeed transformed, millions of people and Mr Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the CJP, is now the symbol of resistance to a non-democratic ruler. In particular Punjab is now in the vanguard of the movement for democracy. This has to be kept in focus.
Feb 18 election was held against the backdrop of two major developments. One has been mentioned; the lawyers’ movement is still being heartily supported by most of the media, civil society and many political parties, particularly those of the APDM. The second was controversial and its details are secret: This was a deal between Gen Musharraf and Ms Benazir Bhutto. It was brokered by the US and British governments and the rest of the west supports it.
The election results have shaped the new coalition government. Its largest component, the PPP, is the beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance; it is therefore promoting reconciliation all round which seems to have been the main purposes of the deal. The present government, based on reconciliation between the PPP and the PML-N and statesmanship of Mian Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari will survive only if these two parties can implement the Murree Declaration in letter and spirit. The outlook is clouded.
The Charter of Democracy was signed in 2006 between Benazir and Nawaz and the Murree Declaration of the PPP and the PML-N was signed on March 9 this year. The latter is more specific. The first job of the new government was to restore the Nov 3 deposed judges to their offices within 30 days without any let or hindrance and unconditionally. Has that happened?
Well, it looks as if this first job is unlikely to be done within the agreed timeframe. There is a deadlock. The PML-N insists that the judges be restored forthwith and unconditionally through an executive order after the NA passes a resolution. Most Pakistani jurists, including many retired Supreme Court judges, think that a simple notification by the Law Ministry is enough for the purpose.
But the PPP seems to have reasons to oppose this and it is making restoration conditional on constitutional amendments that require a two-thirds majority which might not be there, especially in the upper house, the Senate. The PPP boss, Asif Zardari, supposedly has a grudge against senior judges for not giving him any relief in the cases that owed themselves to Nawaz Sharif’s vendetta. He is supposed to be bitter on that score. It is claimed that the PPP wants not merely the restoration of certain individuals but is interested in the independence of the judiciary as an institution. These differences between the two bigger constituents make for an existential crisis for the Gilani government. It had better beware.
At any rate, the original momentum has been lost. The day the new PM ordered the release of the judges from their confinements, he could as well have ordered their reinstatement as Aitzaz Ahsan and others had recommended. That would have been that. Now, the president, the Q League and other Musharraf lovers seem to have readied themselves for a counter offensive – whatever shape that takes. Maybe the PPP, under one scenario, will succeed in reconciling with the Q League, the MQM and miscellaneous others at the cost of the PML-N. That would radically alienate lawyers, media and aware citizenry. That won’t be good for the PPP.
Nawaz League, thus isolated, will be in an excellent position as the true champion of democracy; Punjab is already its fiefdom. Next time the prize will be much of Pakistan, if only Nawaz’s leadership can evolve an attractive economic programme and satisfies people on the autonomy issue. The PPP might then seize failure from the jaws of Feb 18 victory. It may even have a hard time preserving its unity.
Generally, the conditions in the country could not have been worse. On the top of the list is the economic mess the previous regime has left. There is a clear and serious shortage of wheat that was exacerbated by the outgoing government’s actions in allowing some exports and letting hoarding and smuggling to go on. There is also a horrible shortage of electricity. The country is expected to suffer outages of electricity for 10 hours everyday for several years to come. Why? because Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz’s crew had other priorities than generating more power. Other foodstuffs are also in short supply.
The economic situation is worsening by galloping international prices of crude oil and foodstuffs. Expensive fuel means higher transportation costs all around and the whole inflationary cycle then moves up. Foodstuffs have necessarily to be imported; their prices are nearly four times the normal ones. Poorer countries are in a pincer of high food and high fuel prices. Who has any ideas to do something at the international level? Naturally Pakistan cannot do much about it. But adequate articulation on behalf of poor developing countries will go some way to keep the PML-N in the public eye as a party that cares for the poorer peoples.
Then, the management of the economy so far has been third-rate. Budget deficit is over 6 per cent of GDP. Exports are stagnating around $19 billion while imports are surging and may go beyond the $30 billion mark. Then, although considerable amounts of cash were received, Islamabad has continued to borrow at home and abroad. Pakistan has grown in foreign indebtedness too. The situation is scary; the main worry this year is that the current account deficit might touch $ 12 billion, maybe more.
The point is that the Gilani government has given us no new vision of how the country has to be rescued from its huge problems. Apart from the judges’ issue, there is the rise and rise of the Taliban and other Islamist groups that want to establish their own Khilafat. It worries the rest of the world. There is now a regular insurgency in NWFP’s tribal areas and it is spreading into the rest of Pakistan. There is also another insurgency in Balochistan where the Balochistan Liberation Army is battling the state. The people in Sindh are unhappy and divided. They want a new deal. Does this government show any clear comprehension?
Moreover, looking at the government’s recent appointments, there is not much difference in the flavour of the PPP-led government and the Musharraf-led government of recent past. Look at Mr Hussain Haqqani, a respected member of American think-tank and academic communities, as ambassador to America. The hitherto ambassador there is coming back to become national security adviser, the man the Americans trust. Similarly, there is Rehman Malik and others who are regarded as good persons by Americans. This government, if it lasts, might prove to be more pro-American than the last one. Many people are now wondering what was the Feb 18 voting exercise for
Is anything going to change? The lawyers and the judges stand for undiluted democracy, rule of law, independence of the judiciary and separation of powers. Is that on the government’s menu today? Today’s conditions look like the last scene in the Animal Farm of George Orwell where the ordinary four-legged pigs peeped in from outside and saw their leaders negotiating with the once-bad two-legged creatures and they could not distinguish one from the others.
The writer is a veteran journalist and freelance columnist. Email: [email protected]
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
Musharraf must be laughing up his sleeve
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
By Tariq Butt
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf and his political allies have a lot to rejoice over because of the stalemate that hit the Dubai talks between the top leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on the question of the restoration of the deposed judges. However, a presidential confidant did not agree with this impression and said during an informal chat with The News that Musharraf would have been really thrilled had his political allies won the Feb 18 parliamentary elections. “One man’s meat is another’s poison,” was the old adage that the confidant quoted while citing the reason behind the deadlock in the parleys between the two major political players on the sacked justices’ issue.
Nawaz Sharif’s desperate dash to Dubai for talks with Asif Zardari would set the future course for all kinds of cooperation between their parties, especially if the PPP co-chairman did not agree to reinstate the judges through an executive order to be passed following the passage of a resolution in the National Assembly. Musharraf’s confidant said Zardari wanted grand political reconciliation and had practically worked hard in this direction by taking all the major political stakeholders on board. “He wants to tackle the nagging national problems through consensus and consultations.” On the other hand, he said the PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif was determined to do rancorous politics. “This is the basic difference and clash between the two top coalition stalwarts,” he added.
The confidant said since Pakistan’s politics were personality based, no senior politician was consulting with his party on how to resolve the key national issues. He said had he been an adviser to Nawaz Sharif, he would have counselled him not to quit the ruling coalition just on account of the sacked judges but rather adopt a reconciliatory attitude with the objective of wrestling with the actual colossal problems of Pakistan, which were plenty.
The presidential confidant said Nawaz Sharif had to forget the past and try to move forward following in the footsteps of Zardari. There is no point in being hostage to the past and remaining stuck in what should be bygone, he said, adding that not only in Pakistan but also elsewhere, one had to be flexible in politics. Meanwhile, when Nawaz Sharif recently talked about conspiracies being hatched at the presidency, he named Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada being on the right side of Musharraf, Attorney General Malik Qayyum on his left and Maj-Gen (retd) Rashid Qureshi in his front, but he did not point to this confidant as being part of such cabal.
The confidant said the prime minister and all the PPP ministers had good working relationship with the president. Those who accompanied Musharraf on his China visit were duly respectful to him during the entire trip. Not only Musharraf is having the last laugh over the impasse that has struck the PPP-PML-N talks but also his allies, including the PML-Q and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), are elated over the near collapse of the Dubai dialogue. They are eager to see the PML-N walk out of the ruing federal coalition according to its public commitment. They dream a total split of the PML-N from the PPP. “Precisely, our prediction and assessment based on the PML-N’s track record and hard stand on the judges’ issue is about to come true as the coalition would hit rock bottom sooner than later,” a prominent PML-Q leader told The News.
He said Nawaz Sharif hurriedly dispatched Shahbaz Sharif to Dubai in an attempt to secure a face-saving solution to the sacked justices’ issue but Asif Zardari’s own sensible stand and agenda that he was resolute to implement came in his way. The PML-Q’s taunts reserved for the PML-N will increase as the latter will have to give marching order to its federal ministers because of non-acceptance of its demand by the PPP. Pundits stressing a doomsday for the unity of the ruling coalition will prove correct. “This walkout will confirm our point that Nawaz Sharif loves confrontation as he thinks that this course brings immense political dividends to him,” the PML-Q leader said. However, it depends on the sagacity and wisdom of Nawaz Sharif and Zardari on how to keep their coalition intact but, at the same time, arrive at an amicable solution to the lingering judges’ issue. If they fail, the people’s faith in them that was reposed on Feb 18 will wane significantly.
Re: Zardari backs out: Now what?
Are you suggesting that PPP stand for - ‘Pervez Peoples Party’. 