Second meeting of coalition committee: No breakthrough on judges’ issue
ISLAMABAD: Stalemate on the restoration of sacked judges continued in the second meeting of the ruling coalition partners at Parliament House on Thursday.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said the talks continued smoothly and progress was encouraging, but the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said nothing could be said about the outcome of the negotiations.
PML-N: “We cannot say what will happen in future,” Senior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said. “We are firm on our stance on the restoration of the sacked judges and will not compromise,” he added.
“Things are where they were on day one. Both the parties are stuck to their guns,” a PML-N insider told Daily Times. He asked not to be identified. “The talks are likely to continue for two or three more days, but nothing can be said about their outcome,” he said.
He said the negotiations would continue and that another round of talks would be held later on. “Right now we have to go to a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. We will meet again at 10:30pm,” he said.
Asked if the National Assembly session set to be prorogued today might continue until a breakthrough, he said: “National Assembly session is no problem. It can be called at a 24-hour notice.” Ha hinted that PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif might meet tomorrow.
PPP: Law Minister Farooq H Naek said: “There is nothing going wrong with dialogue. Everything is absolutely okay. Talks are going on smoothly and we will soon reach an agreement.” He said the talks were going “in a positive direction”. “Concrete result [will come] very soon.”
The first meeting of the committee was held on Wednesday. Naek, Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Leader of the House in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani and Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik represent the PPP in the committee. Chaudhry Nisar, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Petroleum Minister Kawaja Asif represented the PML-N.
The two teams held separate meetings prior to Thursday’s session. “The PML-N team held talks in Chaudhry Nisar’s chamber, where they also consulted Nawaz Sharif,” a source said. Sherry and Naek consulted Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani before the session, sources said.
Source: Daily Times
Date:4/25/2008
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