Fired Pakistani judges to return

LAHORE, Pakistan, May 3 (UPI) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced Friday that judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf will be restored to their posts.

Sharif, who heads the Muslim League-N, spent two days in Dubai negotiating with Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan Peoples Party, The New York Times reported.

"I want to inform the entire nation that on Monday, May 12, 2008, all deposed judges will be restored," Sharif said. "The National Assembly will approve a resolution, followed the same day by the notification of the restoration of the judges sacked unconstitutionally on Nov. 3."

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry became a symbol of opposition to Musharraf while he was under house arrest after his ouster. His return to the court with other Supreme Court justices could reopen questions of the validity of Musharraf's rule and his declaration of a state of emergency in November.