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You will not be removed, Zardari assured Dogar
KARACHI: President Asif Zardari told US Ambassador Anne Patterson a day after signing the Murree Declaration with PML-N head Nawaz Sharif that he and Mr Sharif had agreed that Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry would not be restored and reassured the then Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar that he need not worry about the declaration.The major clause of the Murree Declaration, signed on March 9, 2008 was believed to be a big breakthrough for parliamentary cooperation between the two major winners of the February elections. Its primary clause related to the agreement to restore all the judges within 30 days who were removed under Gen Pervez Musharraf`s November 3 Emergency proclamation.
The revelations about President Zardari`s interpretations of the Murree Declaration were mentioned in a previously unpublished confidential diplomatic cable dated march 10, 2008 sent to Washington by Patterson. She had called on Zardari on the same day to get his version of the `deal` with Nawaz Sharif.
When Patterson asked about the 30 days deadline contained in the Murree Declaration about the restoration of judges, Zardari laughed and said in politics 30 days could become 90. He also revealed that he had been in touch with Chief Justice Dogar and assured him he would not be removed.”
The President seemed more concerned about the poor image Justice Chaudhry`s continuing house-arrest would create for his newly formed government. He said he had to do something about the judges and that a new civilian government could not keep the former chief justice and his family, including two disabled children, in confinement, wrote Patterson.
According to Patterson, Zardari was willing to work with Musharraf and his advisor Tariq Aziz, but at the same time, he wanted to work with the PML-Q without the interference of Chaudhrys.
Ironically, later President Zardari successfully ousted Gen Musharraf and also formed a coalition with the PML-Q led by the Chaudhrys.
Courtesy www.geo.tv