Allies agree to retain Musharraf's 'handpicked' judges

Islamabad: Pakistan's ruling allies will retain the president's "handpicked" judges, Nawaz Sharif said on Friday.

While the National Assembly will restore the constitution to the pre-November 2007 status on May 12, the new judges appointed under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) will remain, the PML-N leader said.

Sharif told reporters in Lahore after his return from Dubai - where he held marathon talks with Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari for two days to save the coalition - that the government will follow up the resolution on May 12 with an executive order reinstating the 60 sacked judges, who includes President Pervez Musharraf's archrival Iftikhar Chaudhry.

He said a five-member constitutional committee has been formed to work on the resolution. The panel includes Aitzaz Ahsan, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, and prominent lawyers Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Fakhruddin G. Ibram, Khwaja Haris and Raza Rabbani.

Political committees of the two parties will also assist the experts.

Sharif said the reinstatement resolution would be prepared in line with the "letter and spirit" of the March 9 joint declaration he and Zardari had issued.

The PML-N accepts the retention of the new judges as a "sacrifice" it had to make for the success of the Dubai talks.

Sharif spoke to reporters after a meeting of the parliamentary group and central executive of PML-N. Before that US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson met with him.

Responding to a question about the meeting with the US envoy, Sharif said "all issues" came up in their discussion.

Reports said Musharraf held consultations with leaders from the former ruling PML-Q at his camp office in Rawalpindi on the emerging situation.