Pakistan: the restoration must be completed

I’ve not blogged about Pakistan for a while, but of course I’m delighted that there’s now a new government under Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, and that following his first order, political prisoners including deposed Chief Justice Iftihkhar Chaudhry have now been released, and that he and other released leaders of the lawyers’ movement, like Aitzaz Ahsan, can now move freely and address their supporters.

There’s still a lot too play for, though. The government is not yet complete, and although Gilani’s coalition has said it will restore the sacked judges, that does not seem to be among Gilani’s top priorities. Very disappointing, this, and it makes me wonder whaat bickering is going on about it between the parties or between Gilani and President Musharraf. Some will be concerned, too, about Gilani’s dismantling the National Accountability Bureau, which in theory at least fights corruption. Surely Pakistan needs a genuinely untouchable anti-corruption agency rather than relying on the normal courts and police.

Parliament should restore the deposed judiciary without further delay.