Musharraf opponents agree to form coalition in Pakistan
All change in Islamabad
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Sunday, 09, Mar 2008 03:43
Pakistan's two main political parties opposed to president Pervez Musharraf have agreed to form a coalition government.
The move unites former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistani Muslim League (PML-N) with the Pakistan People's party (PPP), formerly led by Benazhir Bhutto.
Previous divisions between the two had frustrated efforts to confront Mr Musharraf, who secured another term in power after declaring a state of emergency in November 2007.
The coalition government has agreed to seek the reinstatement of the judiciary as it was before the state of emergency, as Mr Sharif had demanded.
In return he will join the Pakistani cabinet, despite not recognising Mr Musharraf's right to remain in office.
Asif Ali Zardari, Ms Bhutto's husband and now co-chairman of the PPP, said he respected the office of president and that "personal agendas" would not be pursued by the government.
But most fear the coalition is likely to come into conflict with Mr Musharraf, who deposed Mr Sharif in a military coup in 1999.
Former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, a thorn in Mr Musharraf's side whose rulings against the ex-army chief led to a previous dismissal, could return to resume his opposition from the benches, analysts say.
Today's development is the culmination of political negotiations which have been underway since parliamentary elections on February 18th.
These had been delayed from January 7th following Ms Bhutto's assassination on December 27th.