Even as Pakistan’s ruling coalition finalised steps to restore judges through a parliamentary resolution, President Pervez Musharraf may block their return by seeking a stay order from the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif announced that the parliamentary resolution reinstating judges would be adopted on May 12.

An official said the presidency would seek a stay order from the Supreme Court if the judges, sacked by Musharraf during emergency last year, were restored through an executive order issued on the basis of a resolution passed by the National Assembly or lower house of parliament.

“President Pervez Musharraf will not watch such a development as a silent spectator. He will act firmly to block the return of the sacked justices,” the official was quoted as saying by The News.

Former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, who returned from Dubai late last night after holding talks with PPP leadership on the issue, said they have agreed that judges will be reinstated through a parliamentary resolution.

Sharif described as “revolutionary” the outcome of his meeting in Dubai with Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to break the impasse over the restoration of the deposed judges.

The breakthrough came during the second day of talks on Thursday between Zardari and Sharif. However, the ruling coalition has failed to meet its self-imposed deadline of restoring the judges by April 30 due to the PPP’s insistence on linking the issue to a proposed constitutional package for judicial reforms.

Sharif told reporters in Lahore that the deposed judges will be restored through a parliamentary resolution as envisaged in the Bhurban Declaration, an agreement signed by the PPP and PML-N in March to form a coalition.

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