According to sources, in Friday's meeting of the Committee, the PML-N members came under fire by the members of ANP, JUI-F and BNP, JWP and other small parties of Balochistan. The members said that there is no question of reopening the issue of judges' appointment because the Committee has already settled it with consensus. The members accused the PML-N of breaching the privilege of the Committee, which is a part of the Parliament.
We accept the decision of the Parliament and will not compromise on principles. "The members pointed their guns towards Nawaz Sharif's Thursday news conference saying that the Parliament is supreme, the Parliamentary Committee would not consult any institution or personality about the composition of Judicial Commission. We have taken decision on the appointment of judges with consensus," the sources said.
Referring to a telephonic talk between Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, a member said that before the news conference, Nawaz Sharif called the Prime Minister and asked him to use his good offices for changing the composition of the Judicial Commission. But the Prime Minister replied that he could interfere in the matters of the Committee because it is an independent parliamentary body with full powers to study and propose amendments in the constitution, according to sources.
While criticising the PML-N in the meeting, ANP Senior Vice President Haji Adeel recited a titled of 'Drone Attacks' in which he termed Nawaz Sharif's press conference "a drone attack on the Committee," the sources said. "The members of MQM, ANP, BNP, JWP and other parties asked the Committee Chairman Raza Rabbani that if PML-N wants to reopen the matter of judges' appointment then they will also want to reopen the settled issues of provincial autonomy as well as the concurrent list," the sources added.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who attended the meeting also said in a light vein that if things are being reopened he wants to reopen once again the settled issue of 17th amendment in relation to special seats of women. The JUI-F wanted to reduce the strength of Women Special Seats, the sources said.
The sources said that as soon as the meeting started, the Chairman asked the members that they should not discuss the matters of committee on other forums as the Committee itself is the best forum to discuss them. The sources said Senator Ishaq Dar of PML-N in particular came under fire from other members of the committee during the meeting after PML-N chief took a U-turn on constitutional reforms package.
When Ishaq Dar raised the issue of judges' appointment, he had to face a volley of questions and severe criticism from the members of various parties. After facing heavy drubbing, the PML-N retreated from their demand of changing the mechanism for the appointment of judges.
The PML-N members said that they were not against the provincial autonomy but they wanted to resolve the issue of renaming of NWFP in the next few days. The sources said the issue of renaming of NWFP was also discussed in the meeting. In this regard, the Committee has given its mandate to PML-N and ANP to resolve it amicably.
The sources said that a deadlock still continues between the PML-N and ANP on the renaming of NWFP. If this issue is resolved amicably, the package would be tabled in the Parliament. While talking to media persons after the Committee meeting, PCCR Chairman Raza Rabbani said the Committee met on Friday and reinforced its resolve to present its report on 18th amendment bill with consensus before both the houses of the Parliament.
"The Committee vowed to resolve the question of the new name of province through mutual consultations. The committee recalled that the complex and legal matters are resolved through mutual consultation which is part of democratic process," he said. He said that the Committee would meet again at 2:00 pm on Wednesday.