Pakistan’s Ruling Coalition Parts Ways: PML(N) to Sit in Opposition

Posted on August 25, 2008
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Politics
65 Comments
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Adil Najam

Not unexpectedly, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group) or PML(N) has decided to withdraw from the ruling coalition. Former Prime Minister and PML(N) leader Nawaz Sharif announced the expected breakup to a press conference citing irreconcilable differences on the Judges Restoration issue with the PPP and it’s leader Asid Ali Zardari. The PML(N) had already removed itself from the cabinet on the same issue.

The PML(N) leader also announced former Chief Justice Saeeduzaman Siddiqui as it’s Presidential candidate to oppose Asif Ali Zardari.

The move was not unexpected following the coalitions success in removing Gen Musharraf from the Presidency. The hope now would be that this might lead to a strong and active parliamentary opposition. However, the fear and the likelihood is that greater political bickering and instability will follow leading Pakistan politics into even more political brinksmanship.

65 responses to “Pakistan’s Ruling Coalition Parts Ways: PML(N) to Sit in Opposition”

  1. Aik aur Truth seeker says:

    @Truth Seeker,
    I hope that you have answered Konpal by now already,
    but please don’t give us this crap of ” all is OK now”
    I have some questions
    -Zardari can do “magic thing” with Swiss Banks and
    authorities on money laundering, but has he also arranged
    with Interpol ?
    – What about Mafia of financial circle in Swiss ?
    – What about Spanish court ” connection”, BB’s, oil for food
    scandal and involvement of Rehman Malik on behalf of
    half of the feudals of PPP ?

    – Half a dozen of other scandals in secret ” cupboards ” of
    European Parlaiment’s special brigade for financial
    frauds ?
    your prompt answers could help us all, thanks

  2. Truth Seeker says:

    Everyone seems to talk of Zardari’s corruption without any proof. Unless all of you yourself gave him this money I am not sure how you know. But, if you do, why don’t you put your mouth where your foot is. Zardari says he will give $30m to anyone who can show that he has this supposed $60m… so, if you are so sure he has it, prove it and get rich. Otherwise, you know what this lying makes you!!!

    ===========
    Zardari says $60m not returned to his account

    Saturday, August 30, 2008

    By Hamid Mir

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has challenged his critics to prove that he had $60 million in Swiss accounts which was returned to him after the Swiss case was thrown out.

    He promised to pay $30 million to anyone who could prove that he got $60 million back. Talking to this correspondent on Friday, Zardari said it was all malicious propaganda against him as the whole case in the Swiss court was about $2.3 million.

    Zardari said the previous regime failed to prove anything against him for eight years and tried to blackmail the PPP through the Swiss cases. When he was told about the recent comments of the Swiss magistrate that investigations should have continued, Zardari claimed that this magistrate retired four years ago and he wrote a biased decision against him just a few days before his retirement after taking some bribe from the previous regime.

    “That was the reason the Swiss public prosecutor dropped charges against me because there was no substance in the charges,” he added. He also said there were many politicians, who were filthy rich, richer than him. Some of them are sons of generals but nobody asks them where they got their wealth.

    “I belong to a business family, I am not very rich but I am well off. The propaganda against me in the media is an evidence that I don’t have the money to buy people.” The PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif also congratulated Zardari on the closure of the Swiss case, which was initiated against him by the PML-N government in 1997. Both the leaders spoke to each other twice on telephone in last two days and discussed possibilities for the revival of their friendly relations.

  3. Qadeer says:

    I dont like Zaradri much, but I do think that having a President and Prime Minister who can talk to each other will stop this bickering that had held the country hostage. I don’t care who they are if they solve my daily problems I will be happy.

  4. konpal says:

    i dont know whether this is the right place to post this but today’s papers report THAT MR ZARDARI IS EXEMPTED FROM SHOW HIS ASSETS TO THE EC. May i dare to ask WHY the discrimination. If he is to be exempted then so should be Mr Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddique and Mr Mushahid too. He plans to join the politics of this ill-fated country and the education standards are reduced. All cases against him are found to be obsolete. If he is so pure then HE SHOULD COME FORWARD AND FACE THE MUSIC LIKE A MAN.
    BUT I GUESS THATS ASKING HIM TOO MUCH

  5. Aamir Ali says:

    Abdulhai:

    I am overseas, but my family is in Pakistan, and they neither know Musharraf, or have derived personal benefits from his rule.

    I do know that when the Taliban/AQ criminals ran away from Afghanistan and entered FATA/NWFP, Musharraf termed them terrorists and asked the people to support the govt and forces in their attempt to capture/kill terrorists. However the people of the province refused, for reasons better known to them. The result was the effort to eliminate terrorism floundered.

    Today the majority people of the province themselves are condemning the Taliban as terrorists and support govt/forces efforts to eliminate Taliban/AQ. If they had listened to Musharraf after 9/11, we would not have the mess we currently have in FATA/NWFP.

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