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Ex-Pakistan prime ministers try to bridge differences

Pakistani opposition parties haggled yesterday over whether to demand reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf as a condition for their participation in elections next month.

Two former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, have said they would present Musharraf with a "charter of demands" to ensure a fair general election on Jan. 8, failing which they would "move towards" a boycott.

A boycott by the two main opposition parties and smaller allies would rob the vote of credibility and prolong instability in a nuclear-armed country that is crucial to US efforts to fight al-Qaeda and bring peace to neighboring Afghanistan.

"Most of the issues have been decided with consensus. The remaining issues will be decided today. Today is the final sitting, we're going to finalize our list," said Ahsan Iqbal, a spokesman for Sharif's party, involved in drafting the demands.

Iqbal declined to give details, but other opposition officials said the two parties still differed over whether to demand the restoration of 37 judges dismissed by Musharraf after he imposed emergency rule on Nov. 3.

Bhutto says the new parliament should decide on the fate of the judges. Sharif, who has been visiting parts of the north of the country this week to meet supporters, has called for an election boycott unless the judges are reinstated.

"There is no question of compromise on this issue. We are saying it should be before the election. The PPP says it should be after the election," said Javed Hashmi, a senior official in Sharif's party, referring to Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.

"This is the only thing where we have to this time not been able to agree," Hashmi said.

Bhutto has said her party would reluctantly take part in the vote, while reserving the right to withdraw or to protest against an unfair result. She has already issued a manifesto and effectively began her campaign last weekend.

Despite his doubts about the election, Sharif registered to run but his nomination was rejected on Monday because of criminal convictions that Sharif says were politically motivated.

Musharraf has ruled out reinstating the judges, some of whom remain under house arrest, including former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. Musharraf has been at odds with the judiciary since he tried to sack Chaudhry in March.

Sharif tried to meet Chaudhry at his Islamabad home yesterday but was blocked by police. He was turned back by around 300 policemen manning concrete and barbed wire barricades near Chaudhry's residence.

Hundreds of Sharif's supporters chanted "Long live Nawaz Sharif" after their leader was turned back and burned a large poster of Musharraf.

"I have come here to express solidarity with the chief justice and other judges," Sharif told the crowd after police refused to let him through.

"I want to tell them that the entire nation stands by them. We will not rest until all these judges are restored to their pre-November 3 positions," he said.
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