PML-N fears Zardari will renege on restoring sacked judges

Islamabad, Aug.20 : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which is led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, fears that Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari will renege on his promise to restore the over 40 judges sacked by then President General Pervez Musharraf.

A senior PML-N member, speaking on condition of anonymity, was quoted by the Chicago Tribune, as saying that he was concerned that Zardari would not honor a deal to restore the judges.

"Yes, we are worried. We hope he does not back out of his promises," he said.

Another senior party official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, blamed the Pakistan People's Party for failing to honor its promise.

According to the paper, the dispute between the coalition partners suggest that Musharraf was not the only sore point pushing them to arrive at new political dispensation in Pakistan, but there are other issues bedeviling the relationship.

This, it says, does not bode well for the future of the coalition, which also must hash out who the next president will be and whether Musharraf will face criminal charges for his nine years in office.

The coalition had earlier agreed to restore the judges within 24 hours of Musharraf resigning or being impeached. But as of Tuesday night, any decision was not likely until Friday or even later. The coalition did not start debating who would be the country's next president or whether Musharraf would face criminal charges, sources said.

The paper quoted Information Minister Sherry Rehman, a senior PPP member,as saying that her party did not want the extra 72 hours but granted the time to its junior partners.

"They have played a very critical role in this impeachment process," Rehman said.

Now that Musharraf has gone, it remains to be seen if the coalition can tackle the country's serious crises-rising militancy on its border with Afghanistan, rising food prices and an electricity shortage.

If Sharif's party opts to sit in the opposition, then Zardari could face a hung Parliament and difficulty in passing any legislation.

This could hurt the fight against militants and the U.S.-led war on terror, if the country has no clear leadership, concludes the paper.

ANI