DUBAI, MAY 1:Pakistan’s ruling coalition partners PPP and PML-N on Thursday agreed on how to reinstate the sacked judges, an issue that threatened the alliance, with former premier Nawaz Sharif saying it will be done through a parliamentary resolution.

After four days of talks between the leadership of the two parties here, Sharif told reporters that details of the agreement would be announced by him in Lahore tomorrow. The two sides had set an April 30 deadline for restoring the judges.

Asked about the PPP’s move to link the restoration of judges with a constitutional package for judicial reforms, Sharif said the two could not be linked.

“We have been discussing both since yesterday and that (constitutional package) is a separate issue. The restoration (of the judges) will take place through a resolution,” Sharif said after a meeting with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

“Zardari showed good faith and played a fruitful role in sorting this out,” he said.

“Everyone will be satisfied with the progress” made in his negotiations with Zardari today, the former premier said and added that the talks have ended.

Sharif, who flew in here on Tuesday night, held in-camera talks with Zardari for a second day on Thursday.

“The committee has made substantive progress on this issue. It has been decided and reiterated that the restoration of the judges will take place as per the Murree Declaration. There is no ambiguity, no doubt about it,” Sharif said.

“You will soon see the result of the discussions held here,” he said.

PPP leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Sherry Rehman said in Islamabad that the coalition government will reinstate the deposed judges while retaining the current judges of the superior judiciary.

Endorsing PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s comments that the deposed judges will be restored through a parliamentary resolution, she said: “Mian Nawaz Sharif was authorised to make the statement on the PPP’s behalf.”

The Murree Declaration, which was signed by the PML-N and the PPP in March to form a coalition, envisaged the reinstatement of the judges within 30 days of the alliance forming the government.

The deadline ended on April 30 and when Sharif was asked if the two parties had set a new timeframe for restoring the judges, he replied “We will give the details tomorrow. You won’t have to wait too long.”

Replying to a question about when the National Assembly would be summoned to pass the resolution to restore the judges, Sharif said “We discussed this issue today and we will announce something in Lahore tomorrow.”

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