US tries to break deadlock between PPP, PML-N on judges issue

Sun, May 11 10:35 PM

H S Rao and Rezaul H Laskar London/Islamabad, May 11 (PTI) On the eve of a deadline set by PML-N to reinstate deposed judges, the US today stepped in to bridge the differences between leaders of Pakistan's ruling coalition on the vexed issue that has threatened to break up their two-month old alliance. US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher met PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in London separately to discuss the political situation in Pakistan ahead of tomorrow's deadline as a breakthrough to reinstate the judges eluded after several rounds of negotiations.

Sharif's secretary told reporters that the meeting between the PML-N chief and Boucher, which lasted for two hours, was arranged at the request of US officials. Boucher also held parleys with Zardari, who went to London last week for talks with Sharif to discuss reinstatement of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during the emergency last year, PPP sources said.

There were also reports that another round of talks would be held in London by senior leaders of the two parties, including Khwaja Asif of the PML-N and Rehman Malik of the PPP. Boucher, who was on his way back home from Dhaka, made a brief stop over to meet the PML-N leader to apprise himself on the latest situation in Pakistan.

While the PML-N has been pushing for the judges to be restored by tomorrow by passing a resolution in parliament, the PPP has not committed itself to this deadline. The two parties also have serious differences over retaining judges who were installed during the emergency after swearing an oath of allegiance to Musharraf.

PTI.

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