The proposed constitutional package should neither be linked with nor be adopted prior to the reinstatement of deposed judges, said Naseer Bhutta, a PML-N parliamentarian and president PML-N Lawyers' Wing, Punjab.
Talking to the reporters at the Supreme Court, he said the sacked judges should be restored as early as possible because any delay would not only augment the crisis but also give birth to new problems. He said the proposed constitutional package entails a number of new provisions, which should be presented in the parliament for deliberations.
On the other hand, it cannot be adopted overnight, as it involves a lengthy process; presentation in the Upper House and Lower House of the parliament and approval with a two-thirds majority in both the houses. In addition, consent of the President is also required for its promulgation, he said.
It would be a naïve approach to think that President Pervez Musharraf, who himself had illegally sacked and detained the judges, would pay any heed to the matter, he added.
He said that it was none other than President Pervez Musharraf, who had abrogated the Constitution, promulgated the PCO, imposed Emergency to save his presidency. He will never let the judges resume their offices once again, he added.
Therefore, the PML-N has adopted the stance to reinstate the judges first and take the judiciary back to November 2, 2007 position. The reinstatement of the deposed judges would give a loud message to the world for the supremacy of the Constitution in Pakistan, he said.
Responding to a question regarding the impeachment of the President, he said that it should be after the reinstatement of deposed judges. The President should himself step down seeing the verdict of February 18 election as the people have outright refused to accept him as the head of state any more, he added. Naseer Bhutta said that Zafar Ali Shah case should be revisited, which had legitimised military coup in 1999, and had given a dictator three years to rule without any reason.