Two main winners of the Feb. 18 parliamentary elections decided Sunday to restore 60 deposed judges of the superior courts sacked by President Pervez Musharraf on Nov. 3, which came as a major setback to him. Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif told a joint news conference in the hilly resort of Bhurban that their parties would form coalition governments at the federal level and in Punjab. They said the deposed judges would be restored through a resolution to be passed by the new National Assembly (Lower House of Parliament) within 30 days of the formation of their coalition government. Meanwhile in Islamabad, police tear-gassed a rally of lawyers, who wanted to go to the residence of the deposed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who is under house since Nov. 3. After their marathon talks in Murree, Zardari and Sharif announced that PPP would head the federal government that would include PML-N ministers. The PML-N would lead the Punjab government that would have PPP ministers. A joint declaration signed by the two said that the PPP and PML-N undertake to form coalition together for a democratic Pakistan for translating the mandate given by people of Pakistan to the democratic forces.It was suggested by PML-N that the prime ministerial candidate should be one who can deliver on the joint agenda of the coalition. It was further agreed that the speaker and deputy speaker of National Assembly will be from the PPP while the speaker and deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly will be from the PML-N. PPP prime ministerial nominee will be fully supported by the coalition government, who would be responsible to deliver joint agenda of the coalition partners, Sharif said. Zardari said it was the dream of Benazir Bhutto that PPP and PML-N should reach an accord and that dream has come true. He offered Sharif to become the prime minister of Pakistan but he declined with the thanks and smile. He said both PPPP and PML-N have agreed to work together and wanted to remind the world that “we will not disappoint you.” Zardari said people of Pakistan stand together with spirit of democracy and hoped “our government will work with you (world) on all issues facing the world today.” He said in the election, people of Pakistan have expressed their views in a democratic manner and they wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the developed and underdeveloped world, besides with the friends across the borders or beyond. “We promise on behalf of all democratic forces that people of Pakistan will behave responsibly. We will serve and come closer to them,” he added. Zardari said both the parties have signed roadmap to democracy and are committed to sticking with it. He said both the parties are aware of the challenges being faced by the country and “we agreed that the democracy is solution to all challenges.” Zardari said both parties also agreed not to take any decision without taking the nation into confidence. Sharif said dictatorship has no future and Pakistan's future lies in democracy. __
