PML-N sets mid-August deadline for restoration of sacked judges

Islamabad, July 12 : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has hinted that if the deposed judges were not reinstated, it could take a major decision about continuing its support to the Pakistan People's Party-led coalition government by the end of next month.

"It will be difficult to continue on this path indefinitely. We want the (judges') issue to be resolved in four to six weeks, either this way or that way," PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said.

Iqbal said his party was keen to keep the ruling coalition intact, but it was getting difficult to continue to support the government without judges' reinstatement.

The Dawn quoted Iqbal as saying that his party was under pressure to take a clear stand on the issue and a meeting of the PML-N leadership to decide its future course of action was expected after the return of Nawaz Sharif from London.

He said that despite the fact the PPP was taking major decisions on key national issues without consulting the coalition partners, the PML-N wanted the coalition government to succeed, believing that no single party could steer the country out of the present crisis.

Political analysts believe that the popularity graph of the PML-N which was rising due to the party's position on the judges' issue started declining after party's unclear stand on the PPP-led coalition government.

Iqbal said it was true that the people wanted his party to take a firm position.

He said there were occasions in the past when the PML-N could have parted ways with and withdrawn its support from the coalition government, but it avoided doing so.

Iqbal, however, avoided setting deadline for the PPP to restore the judges, and ruled out the possibility of rejoining the cabinet without reinstatement of the judges.

ANI