Sharif aide says party favours coalition exit

Islamabad: The party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was poised to quit Pakistan's ruling coalition unless judges ousted by ex-president Pervez Musharraf are reinstated by on Monday, Sharif aides said.

A Sharif lieutenant also volunteered on Sunday to contest the election for Musharraf's successor, raising the prospect of a divisive race against Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of the assassinated Benazir Bhutto.

Since forcing Musharraf to quit, Pakistan's coalition government has been split over who should replace him and how to reverse his most draconian actions.

The rift has Pakistan's voters and foreign backers worried that the government is too distracted to tackle rising militancy and serious economic problems.

Pervez Rasheed, a close aide of Sharif, said the party's leaders would meet on Monday to decide whether to remain in the five-month-old coalition government or join the opposition.

"General opinion in the party is in favour of parting ways," Rasheed said.

Sharif set Monday's deadline on Saturday in response to the surprise announcement that federal and provincial lawmakers will select the new president on September 6.

Musharraf purged the Supreme Court during a burst of emergency rule in November.

Zardari and Sharif pledged to bring back the judges quickly after routing Musharraf's allies in February elections.

Since forcing Musharraf to quit, Pakistan's coalition government has been split over who should replace him.

"General opinion in the party is in favour of parting ways," Rasheed said.

Sharif says the coalition must agree on the judges by Monday if it is to resolve its differences in time for the presidential election on September 6.

Javed Hashmi, one of Sharif's most senior lieutenants, volunteered on Sunday to run against Zardari.

"I am also willing to contest the presidential election, but I am bound to obey what the party decides," Hashmi told the Associated Press.