ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday restored the provincial government of a main opposition leader in the country’s most powerful province, easing political turmoil.
The decision by a five-member bench returns Shahbaz Sharif to his post as chief minister of Punjab, but it does not end court reviews of a case questioning the eligibility of Sharif and his brother Nawaz for office, meaning it technically is temporary relief.
Pakistan has been embroiled in political turmoil for the last month because of disputes between the opposition and the government. Washington has expressed concern that the drama could distract the country from cracking down on militants in its territory launching attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
In late February, a three-member bench disqualified the Sharif brothers from holding elected office on grounds related to past convictions dating to the rule of ex-military leader Pervez Musharraf. Nawaz Sharif is a former prime minister who was ousted by Musharraf in a coup and is now the country’s main opposition leader.
The court ruling prompted President Asif Ali Zardari to remove the Sharif-led administration in wealthy Punjab, imposing federal rule via the region’s governor. That angered the opposition, whose supporters joined lawyer-led protests aimed at restoring the court’s chief justice.
The political backlash badly damaged Zardari’s reputation. He eventually agreed to reinstate the chief justice and has taken steps to reconcile with the popular Sharifs.
On Tuesday, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani said Shahbaz could resume office “with immediate effect.”
Shahbaz Sharif welcomed the ruling.
“I bow before the God Almighty, and it is the victory of justice,” he said. Opposition supporters gathered outside the courts and streets in major cities to cheer and hand out sweets.
The spokesman for Sharif’s party, Ahsan Iqbal, said the original ruling against Shahbaz was regrettable, creating “a political and administrative vacuum” that negatively affected law and order.
“We are back, and now we will do our best to undo this damage,” said Iqbal. “It is now necessary that instead of fighting each other, we better fight the real issues, the issues that people voted on.”
Hours after the court ruling, Zardari’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said the president respected the court’s decision.
“It is hoped that the restoration of government in Punjab will take the process of reconciliation further forward and help in diluting the bitterness generated recently,” said Babar in a statement.
Also Tuesday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani congratulated Shahbaz over the restoration of his government, according to the state news agency.
The Sharifs had accused Zardari of engineering the original court ruling, and said their removal in Punjab was a pure power grab. Zardari’s spokesman denied that charge.
Upon returning to the court, the country’s chief justice reconstituted the bench hearing the Sharif eligibility cases, a move that may have affected the ruling Tuesday.
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