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Not looking at a Nawaz-minus situation: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday played down the rift in the ruling coalition over the judges issue, and said he was in discussions with Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif to end the “impasse” between them.

The PML(N) pulled out its nine Ministers from the federal Cabinet on Tuesday following the failure of the coalition government to reinstate the judges by the promised deadline of May 12, but Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani refused to accept their resignations saying Mr. Zardari would take a decision on them.

The PML(N) has said it will not withdraw from the coalition, and will continue to support the government on an issue-to-issue basis.

On Wednesday, the PPP, which was closeted in a long joint meeting of its parliamentarians, Punjab provincial assembly members and its central committee, was still saying that the resignations had not been accepted.

The PPP co-chairman, back in the country after two weeks, said at a press conference late on Wednesday that he would meet Mr. Gilani on Thursday and a decision on whether to appoint new Ministers to the vacant Cabinet positions or to keep them open would be taken then.

Mr. Zardari said while both he and Mr. Sharif were in complete agreement on the restoration of the judges, the “only difference” was on how to go about this.

The PPP leader said he did not want to take the route of reinstating the judges through an executive notification backed by a parliamentary resolution as desired by Mr. Sharif as this could bring on a constitutional crisis.

“There will be a reaction from the sitting judges [of the Supreme Court]? What if they give a stay order on the notification. There will be a constitutional crisis,” he said. “I don’t want to commit a wrong to correct a wrong. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Acknowledging that there was an impasse with Mr. Sharif on the issue, the PPP leader reiterated his commitment to the Murree Declaration for reinstating the judges, and said he was still engaged in a dialogue with the PML (N) leader to find a way out their disagreement.

Asked if he foresaw a break-up of the coalition, and if he would enter into an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), a party allied to President Musharraf that was defeated in the February election, Mr. Zardari avoided a direct reply.

“I am working on a government of national reconciliation,” he said. “I am not looking at a Nawaz-minus government. I am looking at a Nawaz plus scenario.”

Mr. Zardari said even though the PPP-led coalition would survive without the PML(N), “I am not prepared to go without [Nawaz Sharif].”

Sounding optimistic, Mr. Zardari said a resolution on the judges issue acceptable to the PPP and the PML(N) was under preparation and would be presented before Parliament soon.

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