ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's two main parties have worked to mend a rift in their governing coalition, but have failed to reach an agreement on the reinstatement of dozens of senior judges who were fired last year, a spokesman of Pakistan Muslim League-N said yesterday.
Asif Ali Zardari, who leads the biggest ruling party, met with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, leader of a junior coalition partner, at his Lahore residence to discuss the political situation, said Ahsan Iqbal, the spokesman for Sharif's party.
The meeting was the first time the men held discussions since May 27. Iqbal said they will meet again tomorrow.
President Pervez Musharraf ousted the judges in November last year before they could rule on the legality of his re-election a month earlier.
The move damaged Pervez Musharraf's popularity and helped his opponents win February parliamentary elections.
The two main groups in the ruling coalition — Zardari's Pakistan People's Party and Sharif's party — have failed to resolve differences over how to reinstate the judges. Sharif has pulled his members from the Cabinet and his party is participating in recent street protests led by lawyers.
Zardari has sought to link the return of the judges to constitutional reforms that could take months to pass.
Sharif has demanded the government immediately restore the judges to the bench. He has also called for Musharraf's impeachment.
"Our position is that we want to see the restoration of judges and the removal of Musharraf as quickly as possible," Iqbal said. "We have differences of opinion on the issue, but our goal is the same."
Zardari was assisted in talks by Rahman Malik, Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas and Jahanger Badar while Ishaaq Dar, Raja Zafarul Haque and Javaid Hashmi assisted Nawaz Sharif. Ahsan Iqbal, Raja Riaz and Zafar Iqbal Jhakra attended the meeting.
—With input from agencies
