Bhurban Accord

Bhurban Accord (also known as the Murree Declaration) is a political agreement signed by two of Pakistan's biggest political powers, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) and was signed by co-chairman of the PPP Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif it was signed on 8 March 2008 in PC Bhurban in the province of Punjab.

The Bhurban Accord had one primary goal. The deposed judges, sacked under President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf when he imposed emergency rule within the country on 3 November 2007, are to be reinstated within 30 days of the new coalition government. The original date for the judges to be restored was 30 April 2008 but after no decision on which basis both the PPP and the PML-N could bring back the judges collapsed, Nawaz Sharif announced a new date on 12 May 2008. As the deadlock expired, Nawaz Sharif met with Asif Ali Zardari in London on 11 May 2008 in the final set of discussions on how to resolve the deadlock, with no effective decision made, upon his return to Islamabad, Mr Sharif announced that his federal ministers would leave the federal government tomorrow {13 May 2008} and effectively left the coalition government. Asif Zaradari has yet to comment on the situation.

The political acumen of the twice Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif could not peep deep inside the shrewd Zardari while signing the declaration wherein: firstly as per clause 2, the judges were to be restored through a parliamentary resolution. Secondly no methodology was given for disposal of the then sitting CJ Abdul Hameed Dogar and his colleague judges.

Both these things back-fired due to incompetence of the PML(N)’s advisors. When the matter got delayed, the PPP’s own think tank, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and the then president Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), while addressing a press conference at Quetta on 1st April 2008 said that conspiracies were being hatched at the presidency against the Murree Declaration. It was contended that:

"The Murree accord was signed in the larger interest of the country. It guarantees independence of the judiciary and reinstatement of deposed judges. The legal fraternity did not want confrontation among institutions. Lawyers’ Movement stands for strengthening of the institutions which have been weakened by former dictators [Gen Musharraf but still he was in Presidency] just to serve their personal interests. The cases of sitting judges would be decided on merit and that there would be no judicial crisis after the reinstatement of deposed judges".

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Wikipedia