Asserting that it will not be enough for President Pervez Musharraf to doff uniform and take oath for a second five-year term as a civilian, former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif has asked the military ruler to reinstate members of the pre-emergency judiciary.
Sharif, who met several judges of the Lahore high court who refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order issued by Musharraf, said: "We salute all the judges who have not taken oath under the PCO. They stand for the solidarity of Pakistan."
The former premier and his brother Shahbaz Sharif called on deposed Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif, who is under virtual house arrest, other judges and lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, who defended deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry when Musharraf tried to dismiss him first in March.
Sharif, who returned to Pakistan from exile on Sunday, said it would not be enough for Musharraf to quit as army chief and take oath as a civilian president.
The military ruler will have to ensure that all steps taken since the imposition of emergency on November 3 are rolled back, he told reporters.
"The judiciary of November 3 must be restored. This is more important than anything else. This is the key," Sharif said.
Shahbaz said police had conveyed a message to them that they should not meet any deposed judges, but Sharif had told authorities that he was determined to meet the judges and lawyers opposing emergency.
Musharraf is expected to quit as army chief on Wednesday and hand over charge to Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, the vice chief of the army.
Musharraf's spokesman has said he will take oath as a civilian president for a new term on Thursday.
Sharif on Monday filed nomination papers for the January 8 general election and ruled out serving as prime minister under Musharraf.
He also said Musharraf's decision to take off uniform did not "mean he is a legitimate president of the country".
"How can you think of holding a free and fair election when you have a puppet judiciary and a hand-picked and subservient chief election commissioner," Sharif told a press conference on Monday.