The Pakistan Muslim League-N candidates took oath that, if elected as parliament members, they would play their role and devote energies to restore the judiciary. The candidates have also vowed to play their role in ending the army's political role and restoring the 1973 Constitution.
The party announced that it would mark "the Day of Pledge" on Wednesday and organised various functions with the main one being held at the Model Town home of Nawaz Sharif where the candidates had gathered and took oath. Former Chief Justice Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui refused to take oath under the PCO after President Pervez Musharraf assumed charge on October 12, 1999.
Those attending were Justices Wajih-ud- din, Mohammad Rafique Tarar, Nasira Javed Iqbal, Javed Iqbal, Manzoor Hussain Sial, Khalid Paul Khawaja, Aftab Farrukh, Karamat Nazir Bhandari, Khalil ur Rehman lawyers, civil society members and human rights activists.
Sharif said, "The restoration of judges is not an administrative or a political issue rather it is a matter of the country's survival." He also lashed out at President Musharraf's policies harming the army. In his speech, chief guest Justice Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui praised the party leadership for creating a history by taking oath from its candidates, saying he hoped the candidates would stick to their oaths.
He said neither the economic prosperity could be achieved nor the country could march in the right path without the judiciary independence. He said the whole nation wanted an independent judiciary and the restoration of judges who had declined to take oath.
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Wajih ud din praised Sharif for fulfilling his promise by taking oath from the candidates, saying it was their desire that all the parties contested the polls adopted the course of action chosen by the PML-N party today, but it never happened. "Now that the PML-N candidates have taken oath it is the responsibility of the nation to elect them," he added.
He said the president's actions on November 3 and afterwards were void. "If a National Assembly emerges after the February 18 polls and adopts a resolution favouring the deposed judges, it will be enough to restore the judges," he said.
Referring to the statement of Richard Boucher that if the new National Assembly adopts such a resolution, President Musharraf would dissolve the assembly under article 58-2(b) of the constitution, Wajih said if Musharraf would take such action it would be illegal.
Bushra Aitzaz, wife of Supreme Court Bar Association President said that November 3 action of President Musharraf was illegal and unconstitutional and the judges who refused to take oath under PCO are still dejoure judges.
She said Aitzaz Ahsan had written a letter and desired that the political parties contesting the upcoming polls should take oath from their candidates pledging for restoration of judiciary.
She was of the view that President Musharraf has already rigged the upcoming polls, which are mere, a fraudulent exercise. She said Musharraf and his aides would never allow holding of free and fair polls in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Nawaz Sharif said that the country was in the grip of lawlessness for the last eight years. He said February 18 is a day of referendum and people would reject the forces supporting dictatorship.
Sharif also asked the Pakistan People's Party and Awami National Party to adopt a clear stance for the restoration of deposed judges, independence of judiciary and putting an end to army's role in politics.
Terming Munir A. Malik, Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice Tariq Mahmood and Ali Ahmed Kurd as heroes of Pakistani nation, he said they are waging a just struggle for a cause. He also paid glowing tributes to Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry who exposed corruption of rulers, took suo motu notice of public grievances, initiated legal action for the recovery of missing persons and proved that he believes in rule of law. He said that soon we would get rid of Pervez Musharraf.
He also praised the role of mediamen for raising voice against laws aimed at curbing freedom of media. He asked journalists to announce one-day strike and take to streets for acceptance of their demands.'We would see their protest on foreign channels', he said.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shahbaz Sharif said that independence of judiciary is a must if we want to get respectable status in the comity of nations. He said according to transparency International report, there was worst ever corruption during tenure of President Musharraf while the Punjab Government was also the most corrupt.
He said his party Quaid has adopted a principled stand and waging a struggle for a cause. He also highlighted the services rendered by Nawaz Sharif to make the defence of the country strong by conducting atomic explosions despite the US pressure. He hoped that Returning Officers and district returning officers would become Iftikhar Chaudhry on February 18 and foil rigging plans of the regime.
PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan asked the party candidates to direct their polling agents to count every ballot paper issued by the returning officer and lodge written complaints if the ballot papers exceed from issued papers.