'Bunkered' Zardari in no mood to reconcile with Sharif

Washington, Mar.19 (ANI): A bunkered Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is in no mood to reconcile with Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif.

According to informed sources, Zardari is taking the reinstatement of judges sacked by former President General Pervez Musharraf as his "personal defeat".

Zardari's own party men fear that he will leave Pakistan politically adrift at a time when it is facing severe threats from Islamist extremists.

"Mr. Zardari is in a bunker, and party workers feel disillusioned and disconnected. Our party has always been populist, but now it is dominated by power politics," Safdar Abbasy, a PPP senator said.

Abbasy parted ways from Zardari following the arrest of opposition activists during the last week's protest march.

"What Mr. Zardari needs to do is sit and reflect on the need for reconciliation and stability in our society. It is all up to him," The Washington Post quoted Abbasy, as saying.

"While Zardari's democratic credentials have been severely undermined, Gilani has gone from being seen as a puppet to looking like a statesman," Rifaat Hussain, a professor of security studies at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, said.

"Restoring the independent judiciary strengthens the government's hand to confront terror. If we can also end this political polarization and implement the Charter of Democracy, it will further strengthen our ability to confront the fanatics in our midst," added rebel PPP leader Iqbal Haid. (ANI)