Two-time ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif Monday announced that his ministers will resign from their posts on Tuesday as the government did not fulfilits commitment to reinstate judges sacked by US-backed President Pervez Musharraf.
They did so on Tuesday and all nine ministers handed over their resignations to prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League had formed a coalition government with slain ex-premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party. Both had agreed in March to reinstate the judges through a parliamentary resolution within 30 days, but the PPP led by Bhutto's widower Asif Zardari deviated from its commitment.
Musharraf, a former army chief who grabbed the power in October 1999 in a bloodless coup against Sharif, had sacked judges in November under emergency rule, fearing that the judiciary might rule against his candidacy for the October 6 elections.
In February 18 elections, Sharif and Bhutto's parties trounced the allies of Musharraf raising hope that Musharraf who got a second presidential terms by trampling judiciary would also quit. But Musharraf and most of his key appointees still remain firm in their positions.
The split at this crucial time when Pakistan is faced with grave problems like rising fuel prices, food and electricity shortages may deepen the crisis further, analysts say.
PPP has said that it will keep the cabinet portfolios vacant for the PML-N hoping that it will soon rejoin them. Sharif said that his party will not sit on opposition benches and continue to cooperate with PPP government on issue-to-issue basis.
Sharif also announced that he will contest by-elections.
Meanwhile the Commonwealth restored the membership of Pakistan it had suspended six months ago over Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule.
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They did so on Tuesday and all nine ministers handed over their resignations to prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League had formed a coalition government with slain ex-premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party. Both had agreed in March to reinstate the judges through a parliamentary resolution within 30 days, but the PPP led by Bhutto's widower Asif Zardari deviated from its commitment.
Musharraf, a former army chief who grabbed the power in October 1999 in a bloodless coup against Sharif, had sacked judges in November under emergency rule, fearing that the judiciary might rule against his candidacy for the October 6 elections.
In February 18 elections, Sharif and Bhutto's parties trounced the allies of Musharraf raising hope that Musharraf who got a second presidential terms by trampling judiciary would also quit. But Musharraf and most of his key appointees still remain firm in their positions.
The split at this crucial time when Pakistan is faced with grave problems like rising fuel prices, food and electricity shortages may deepen the crisis further, analysts say.
PPP has said that it will keep the cabinet portfolios vacant for the PML-N hoping that it will soon rejoin them. Sharif said that his party will not sit on opposition benches and continue to cooperate with PPP government on issue-to-issue basis.
Sharif also announced that he will contest by-elections.
Meanwhile the Commonwealth restored the membership of Pakistan it had suspended six months ago over Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule.
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