Islamabad: Pakistan's deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is likely to be reinstated to his position as part of steps to be taken by the ruling PPP to end a confrontation with the Opposition PML- N that had triggered a major political crisis.
The decision to reinstate Chaudhry, who was sacked when former president Parvez Musharraf imposed emergency in November 2007, was taken during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani early on Monday morning.
PML-N spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq told reporters that his party had been informed that Chaudhry was being reinstated through an executive order.
The decision is expected to be announced by Gilani during an address to the nation.
The move comes after former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif defied restrictions imposed on him and led thousands of his supporters in Lahore to join a long march organised by lawyers and Opposition parties to press the Pakistan People's Party-led government to restore the deposed judges.
Pakistan had plunged into a political chaos on Sunday evening after Sharif’s rebellion. There were also reports that IGP of Punjab province's police and other senior officials had resigned and joined Sharif’s long march for restoration of the Constitution.
How Sharif pulled it off
Emerging from his Model Town residence, Sharif who his party supporters said was ordered to be placed under house arrest for three days along with his brother Shabaz Sharif urged people to defy restrictions and join the long march.
"Brothers, do not be scared or worried. These obstacles are temporary. We must remove them and only then can we reach our destination," he said.
Denounced his house arrest order as illegal, Sharif told his flag-waving and chanting supporters, "These are the decisive moments."
"After 1947 this is the second time that the country needs you," he said giving a call to oust President Asif Ali Zardari.
Sharif told supporters before leaving for the GPO chowk from his residence, "I tell every Pakistani youth that this is not the time to stay home; Pakistan is calling you to come and save me."
Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, however, claimed no orders had been issued for placing the Sharif brothers under house arrest.
Sharif's younger brother and former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz, who was in the garrison city of Rawalpindi at a PML-N leader's residence, gave a slip to police and went into hiding before he could be served order for his house arrest, PML-N spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq said.
Earlier, media reports had said that Shahbaz, too, was placed under house arrest.
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