Judges issue: Opposition threatens Govt

A Pakistani opposition alliance has threatened to start a civil disobedience movement if sacked judges were not restored by the PPP government.

The APDM has threatened to “expose the corruption of Asif Zardari if he failed to restore the judiciary.”

Leaders of the APDM on Thursday said the alliance's purpose was to restore the constitution and democracy in the country and “if anyone creates obstacle in this regard, civil disobedience drive will be launched.”

The alliance convener Mehmood Khan Achkzai and leaders Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Imran Khan and others announced a joint declaration at a press conference in Islamabad.

Pakistan's main political parties have agreed to work out modalities to remove President Musharraf from office but no deal has been worked out on the restoration of the judiciary.

A committee has been formed for the Movement of Judges' Restoration and to decide the date of sit-in, which would carry out consultations with the lawyers and political parties and present its recommendation till July 7, APDM leaders said.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by Asif Ali Zardari and the PML-N party led by Mian Nawaz Sharif are locked in talks over the modalities of restoring the judiciary. The talks held between the two in Lahore this week, however, did not result in any breakthrough over the issue of judiciary. The two have agreed to meet again on Friday.

The PML-N wants the Murree Declaration to be implemented while the PPP leadership claims that the declaration is a statement of intent and not a game plan in itself. The declaration calls for the restoration of judges sacked by President Musharraf in November 2007 within 60 days of convening of parliament. However, the judges were not restored.