Sticking point: Prospects for judicial commission brighten

PTI likely to accept govt’s offer; possibility emerges after govt gesture to form judicial commission

ISLAMABAD:

Showing flexibility in his earlier stance on certain aspects of electoral rigging, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has given approval to the recommendations made by his party’s core committee that they should accept the government’s offer of forming a judicial commission to probe the May 2013 general elections.

PTI leaders deliberated over all aspects of the proposed commission as per a member of the PTI core committee. “There is no difference anymore and now the only process left is use of ‘suitable words’ in the agreed draft,” another member of the committee said.



The PTI’s soft stance on the definition of rigging particularly is a result of government’s gesture to constitute the commission through presidential ordinance, as Imran Khan linked return of his party to the National Assembly with the output of the commission, a PTI leader stated.

Earlier, the government was insisting on constituting the commission either through the Pakistan Commission of Enquiry Act, 1956 or through an act of parliament.

“We are agreed on almost all the issues,” Dr Arif Alvi said, adding that as per agreed points, a presidential ordinance would be issued for the new judicial commission.

He maintained that the apex court’s recent verdict was not an obstacle in new legislation.

The petition filed by a former judge of the court was declined on technical grounds and it was not decided on merit by the Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk led bench.

“Now the government’s committee accepted this during the talks,” Alvi told The Express Tribune. “The formation of judicial commission would be decided in our Monday’s meeting, he said.

Appearing before the media after the meeting, PTI spokesperson Dr Shireen Mazari said “a couple of points needed to be finalised for the establishment of the proposed commission”. She added the party would have no objections if the commission is formed through a presidential ordinance. During the meeting, the PTI committee condemned proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terror groups for “unleashing brutality” at Army Public School in Peshawar.

Shireen Mazari said that the nation and its security forces were united against terrorism. The whole nation would continue to demonstrate unity against terrorists. The spokesperson said that the core committee touched upon several important issues including return of Afghan refugees from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Dr Alvi also maintained that “we are with the armed forces in this war”.

Under the ‘plan of action’, presented by him in the meeting, it was stated that the PTI would be organised at every level to derive the full benefit of over four-month sit-ins and protest against parliament and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2014.