WSJ : Pakistan's Governing Coalition Is on the Brink of Collapse

Pakistan's Governing Coalition Is on the Brink of Collapse

By PETER WONACOTT | August 24, 2008

Pakistan's governing coalition is on the verge of collapse less than a week after the partners successfully forced out the country's former army chief and president, Pervez Musharraf.

The Pakistan Muslim League (N) will meet Monday to decide whether to abandon support for the Pakistan People's Party, the coalition's senior partner, according to a spokesman for the Pakistan Muslim League, Ahsan Iqbal. Mr. Iqbal says the Pakistan People's Party has "unilaterally" taken recent decisions, casting a pall over a political partnership formed after February's parliamentary elections. The coalition's two main parties have split sharply over the restoration of judges that Mr. Musharraf had ousted, as well as who his successor should be.

"In a way, they are trying to drive us out of the coalition," said Mr. Iqbal in a telephone interview. "It seems they've made up their minds they want to do it themselves."

The Pakistan Muslim League (N) wants the judges restored on Monday and presidential elections scheduled for Sept. 6 to choose Mr. Musharraf's successor to be postponed by one month to give the party time to nominate its own candidate or agree on a joint candidate. A pullout from the Pakistan Muslim League would force the coalition leader to hunt for new political partners to maintain a majority in parliament.

The Pakistan People's Party has put forward its leader, Asif Ali Zardari, to replace Mr. Musharraf. On Saturday, Mr. Zardari, widower to slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, agreed to run for the post in a vote by an electoral college.

Another source of tension is the restoration of judges. The Pakistan People's Party has delayed returning some 60 judges to their jobs, after they were dismissed by Mr. Musharraf during a temporary state of emergency last year. In an interview last week, Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), said Mr. Zardari had agreed earlier this month (August) to reinstate all the judges immediately after Mr. Musharraf stepped down if the two partners joined forces to impeach Mr. Musharraf.

"So we supported him on impeachment," said Mr. Sharif. "It's now his turn to support us on the reinstatement of judges."

Senator Babar Awan, a PPP leader said, "Parliament will take the decision on the judges' issue."

The crumbling of Pakistan's governing coalition would deal a fresh blow to a country barreling into multiple danger zones. High fuel and food prices – as well as skittish investors -- have wracked the economy. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Taliban continue to hit military and civilian targets, in a defiant sign of strength despite a military campaign against them. Political infighting has prevented strong leadership on either front.

--Zahid Hussain in Islamabad contributed to this article.