Pakistan Press Welcomes “Landmark” Court Decision on Ex-PM’s Return

On 23 August, Pakistan’s Supreme Court delivered a short verdict allowing the former prime minister, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, to return to the country. The verdict comes at a time when the country is preparing for presidential elections slated for September-October 2007, and Sharif’s presence is likely to influence the country’s political climate. Sharif has been living in exile since 2000, after a coup by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999 ousted him from power.

While Sharif has hailed the verdict, the official reaction – reported by the state-run official news agency the APP and television news channel PTV News – is that the government has also accepted the ruling.

Nearly all major newspapers in Pakistan, including the Dawn, the Daily Times, Nawa-i-Waqt, Islam, The Nation, The News and Express have carried editorials on the court decision, saying it showed “the newfound independence of the judiciary”. In addition, several newspapers such as the Daily Times, The News and Dawn have sought to find the implications of the decision for the ex-PM and the present military-backed government of President General Pervez Musharraf.

However, some Urdu press and the English-language Frontier Post were notably silent on the verdict, which came late in the evening on 23 August. The Frontier Post, published from Quetta and Peshawar in northwest Pakistan, reported the story without dedicating an editorial piece to it, possibly because of the late announcement of the verdict.

Government accepts verdict

In his first reaction to the verdict, Musharraf appeared on a PTV News debate in Urdu on 23 August and said that he was ready for “political reconciliation” with the former prime minister. Musharraf said that while Sharif was a “convict” and had approached Musharraf for “the arrangement under which he went abroad for ten years”, the president believed that “since he [Musharraf] needed political reconciliation to avert economic damage to the country, he would like to have ‘political reconciliation’ [expression in English] with everyone, and it is need of the hour.”

On 23 August, the APP quoted the law minister, Wasi Zafar, as saying that the government would accept the court decision as a constitutional obligation. “It was not [just] our duty, but a constitutional obligation as well; the government cannot even think of violating [the] decision of courts,” Zafar said.

On the same day, the attorney-general, Malik Mohammad Qayyum, told the APP: “We respect the judgement of the apex court”. Asked by the APP if the government would file an appeal he said: “We will wait for the detailed judgment.”

In another APP report on 23 August, an un-named government spokesman said that the Supreme Court’s judgement would be taken in its true spirit, and action will be taken accordingly”.

Sharif says verdict “defeat of dictatorship”

Karachi-based Geo News, a private broadcaster, has reported on its website on 23 August that the former prime minister has described the verdict as “the victory of the160m people of Pakistan, democracy, constitution and law, and defeat of the dictatorship and President Musharraf’s cruel regime”.

Sharif, according to the same report, has also said that “he would consult with the party [Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz faction] on his returning home, and the All Parties’ Democratic Movement would also be consulted”, and that “he is not afraid of old cases, and would contest them”.

Press supportive

Both the English-language press and the Urdu press, on 24 August, have praised the court verdict, mainly focusing on the new independent role of the judicial system.

In its editorial headlined “A welcome verdict”, the reformist English-language newspaper, The News, says that the Supreme Court decision “further underlines the newfound independence of the judiciary”, and that it “has the potential to severely dent the president’s re-election plan, and may also place in some considerable jeopardy any deal between the president and the Pakistan People’s Party.”

The Karachi-based Dawn, another liberal English-language newspaper, under the headline “Victory for the Sharifs?” says that while “it is still too early to say with certainty that the Sharifs are on their way back home, and when”, yet “the apex court’s short judgement should be welcomed for the principle it upholds. It ruled that the Sharif brothers are Pakistanis and, under the constitution, no Pakistani citizen can be barred from returning to his country, and the documents submitted by the state to prove an accord between the Musharraf government and the Sharifs had no constitutional legitimacy.”

The Islamabad-based pro-Muslim League paper, Nawa-i-Waqt, in Urdu, says: “We believe that the Sharif brothers should now bravely face the situation in view of the Supreme Court’s verdict. They should not be afraid of any hardship, and should lead the nation by living amongst its people. The national leaders must not let the strong support provided by the Supreme Court towards ridding the country of its military dictatorship become weak, the national leaders should not let it weaken. This decision truly represents the sentiments of the people of Pakistan, for which the top court deserves praise.”

“They can come back”, an editorial published by the English- language Islamabad-based conservative daily The Nation, says: “Since 20 July, it is the third consecutive time when the apex court has put [the] Musharraf regime to mat in crucial cases. Landmark decisions such as restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, suspension of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi’s sentence and now the relief given to Sharif brothers have badly dented the stability of present government, that is groaning under continuously mounting pressure.”

The Peshawar-based Express, in Urdu says: “We maintain that the Supreme Court has given its verdict in accordance with the law and constitution of the country. Now the government should recognize the decision, just as it did in the case of the restoration of the chief justice. If Sharif and his family members come to Pakistan, no obstacles should be set up for them. The government, by doing so, can restore its integrity and strengthen democratic values in the country. This decision should also motivate the government to review all its illegal and extra constitutional decisions.”

The Daily Times, in English, says: “The Supreme Court judgement has catapulted him [Sharif] into the limelight as the sole challenger to the unpopular General Musharraf. But all this depends on whether or not Mr Sharif is courageous enough to catch the next flight and brave General Musharraf’s repression in Pakistan.” The Lahore-based newspaper adds: “This judgement obviously goes against General Musharraf. But it is up to Nawaz Sharif to determine for himself whether it will go in his favour or against him.”

The conservative Urdu newspaper, Islam, says: “It is hoped that the Supreme Court will continue this tradition in the future. We also expect the lower courts to follow this precedent towards the deliverance of justice to the people. We believe that political parties will also realize their responsibilities. If this trend is developed, there is no way that any individual person can dare to impose his or her dictatorial decisions on the people and the whole country.”

Sources: As listed

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.