Musharraf confers with aides as Zardari consults MPs-elect on PM

Presidency receives summary to summon maiden National Assembly session

ISLAMABAD, March 10: As Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), the majority party in Pakistan's National Assembly, held talks with leaders of his party here Monday to decide on a candidate for prime minister, President Pervez Musharraf met key aides after the PPP and its coalition partners agreed on reinstating the judges he sacked last year.

According to PPP Spokeswoman Sherry Rehman, Zardari was consulting the legislators-elect of his party before deciding on a candidate. She told reporters after meeting of Zardari that the legislators-elect reposed full confidence in Zardari and gave him full authority to name the candidate for office of the prime minister. Ms Rehman said that consultations would continue over the next few days and Zardari would announce the candidate after Musharraf convened the maiden session of the National Assembly.

On the other hand, President Musharraf met key aides after the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) agreed to form a coalition and reinstate the judges he sacked last year, officials said. Government officials said Musharraf meet legal aides at his Rawalpindi camp office but did not give details on what was being discussed. Private television channels said it was a strategy meeting, including Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro, legal and constitutional advisers, to deal with the issue of reinstatement of deposed judges.

The PPP and PML-N, the two top political parties that going to form new government in Islamabad, Sunday announced to reinstate the deposed judges through a parliamentary resolution within 30 days after formation of the government. In the February 18 general election, the PPP emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly while the PML-N secured the highest number of seats in the Punjab Assembly.

The announcement about restoration of judges through a parliamentary resolution led to initiation of a new debate with Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum saying that removal of judges by Musharraf enjoys legal cover and a simple parliamentary resolution could not reinstatement them. He said the would-be ruling coalition would get nothing from such a resolution.

Political scientists believe the PPP and PML-N, by making a formal announcement regarding reinstatement of judges, have shown their cards and now it would be easy for Musharraf to devise his strategy. Meanwhile, Presidential spokesman Rashid Qureshi confirmed Monday the Presidency had received summary from the Prime Minister House to convene the maiden National Assembly session.

He said now the summoning of the National Assembly session would not take long. Interim Federal Minister for Law Afzal Haider said no date had been proposed for convening the National Assembly session. He said the authority to fix the said date rested with the president so he would decide the day for the session. However, he hoped that the National Assembly session would be summoned in the current week.

Earlier, the Law Ministry sent the summary to the premier for National Assembly session following completion of the house after announcement of the candidates against reserved seats for women and minorities. On the first day, the newly elected members would take oath and the following day election of the speaker and deputy speaker would be held.

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