Pakistan's PPP denies cracks in ruling alliance

Islamabad: The leading party in Pakistan's new ruling coalition brushed off suggestions on Saturday that cracks were emerging in the alliance on key issues, specifically the reinstatement of independent-minded judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf.

Major newspapers ran stories suggesting that Asif Ali Zardari, widower of slain leader Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan Peoples Party leader, has changed his tune on reinstating the judges dismissed last November.

"We have stated very clearly that the judges will be restored through Parliament" as part of a major reform package aimed at bolstering judicial independence, said PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar.

The party says the proposed reforms are aimed at ensuring the judges uphold the constitution rather than swearing "allegiance" to military rulers in the future. Musharraf sacked the justices in an apparent attempt to forestall legal challenges to his rule.

The PPP, along with the party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and two smaller coalition partners have made it their top priority to reinstate the judges fired during a state of emergency declared by Musharraf.

Strong gains

On March 9, the ruling coalition parties declared their intent to reinstate the judges within a month after the formation of the new government and set a collision course with Musharraf. Any softening of the PPP's stand would likely strain the coalition's fragile unity, with Sharif's party unequivocally backing the sacked judges.

The influential The News reported yesterday that in a meeting with senior party aides, Zardari gave the "clearest indication" that his party "may not stand" by its commitment to reinstate the deposed judges because "he was not interested in restoration of personalities but wanted a judicial reforms package".

Analysts believe Zardari is "moving closer to allies of President Musharraf and drifting away from his coalition partner Nawaz Sharif", The News said.

"This is not a correct reading of the situation," Babar said of the report.

Ashan Iqbal, minister for education and a spokesman for Sharif's party, hoped that the coalition parties will stick to their goal, saying they "made a very categorical commitment with the nation on the issue of restoration of the judiciary".