Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondents | August 26, 2008
PAKISTAN'S coalition finally collapsed last night amid bitter recriminations, plunging the nation's nascent democracy into a new crisis two weeks ahead of a presidential election.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), broke with the leader of the dominant Pakistan People's Party, led by Benazir Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari.
Mr Sharif said he would take his MPs to the opposition benches after the failure by the PPP to reinstate by last night judges sacked last year by former president Pervez Musharraf.
"We have taken this decision after we failed to find any ray of hope and none of the commitments made to us were fulfilled,'' Mr Sharif said in Islamabad.
In a move aimed at challenging Mr Zardari and exploiting widespread doubts about his political ambitions, Mr Sharif nominated a highly regarded judge, Saeed us Zaman Siddiqui, to contest the presidential election on September 6.
Mr Zardari had been hoping to stand unopposed. But last night he was confronted by the prospect of his character and partisanship becoming the central issue in the campaign when Mr Sharif highlighted Judge Siddiqui's reputation as "a non partisan and non party person".
Political analysts described the nomination of Judge Siddiqui as "potentially political masterstroke", saying there was every chance that he could defeat Mr Zardari.
"Nawaz has done very well," one said .
"He's finally called Zardari's bluff. He's nominated someone who is highly regarded and there's every chance now that Zardari, assuming he maintains his candidacy, will be defeated."
Mr Sharif is the junior partner in the coalition, but most polls show him to be the country's most popular leader because of his dogged insistence on the judges' reinstatement. Mr Zardari, worried the judges may overturn an amnesty granted to him over corruption charges, has blocked their reinstatment.
The PPP is confident that it can continue to govern, forming alliances with other parties, including two once loyal to Mr Musharraf, the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and the Karachi-based Muttahida Quami Movement.
There are, however, signs of deepening problems for Mr Zardari, with one of the smaller parties in the coalition, theJUI-F religious party led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, raising doubts about Mr Zardari's leadership and criticising him over the failure to reinstate the judges.
Mr Sharif's move on to the opposition benches is a major blow to hopes for a stable democracy in Pakistan. There is widespread expectation the split will be followed by renewed political turmoil that could set the stage for yet another military intervention.
The PML (N) and PPP are longstanding rivals, but there had been hopes that after almost nine years of military dictatorship they could create a workable democracy.
As recently as August 5, Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif signed a declaration promising the judges would be restored within 24 hours of Mr Musharraf leaving office. Since the former military dictator resigned last Monday to avoid impeachment proceedings last Monday, Mr Zardari shifted ground again.
Mr Zardari had earlier warned that Pakistan and the world were losing the war on terror, as US intelligence indicated that al-Qa'ida had built a force of 18,500 foreign fighters in North West Frontier Province far higher than previous estimates.
"The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they definitely have the upper hand," Mr Zardari said in his first statement since being nominated for the presidency by the PPP.
Following Mr Zardari's warning, security supremo Rehman Malik banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which brings together al-Qa'ida and Taliban forces.
Dr Malik, Mr Zardari's right-hand man, said all TTP's bank accounts and other assets would be frozen with immediate effect.
The banning came after Dr Malik had rejected a ceasefire offer from the TTP in the key Bajaur Agency, where fighting has been raging for more than a fortnight. The TTP is headed by Baitullah Mehsood.
On three occasions in the past few days, TTP has claimed responsibility for suicide attacks - including an assault on Pakistan's munitions complex on the outskirts of Islamabad, and the bombing of an emergency ward in the NWFP.
Most analysts believe the ban on TTP will do little. Al-Qa'ida-linked organisations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba are banned, but operate openly.
PAKISTAN'S coalition finally collapsed last night amid bitter recriminations, plunging the nation's nascent democracy into a new crisis two weeks ahead of a presidential election.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), broke with the leader of the dominant Pakistan People's Party, led by Benazir Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari.
Mr Sharif said he would take his MPs to the opposition benches after the failure by the PPP to reinstate by last night judges sacked last year by former president Pervez Musharraf.
"We have taken this decision after we failed to find any ray of hope and none of the commitments made to us were fulfilled,'' Mr Sharif said in Islamabad.
In a move aimed at challenging Mr Zardari and exploiting widespread doubts about his political ambitions, Mr Sharif nominated a highly regarded judge, Saeed us Zaman Siddiqui, to contest the presidential election on September 6.
Mr Zardari had been hoping to stand unopposed. But last night he was confronted by the prospect of his character and partisanship becoming the central issue in the campaign when Mr Sharif highlighted Judge Siddiqui's reputation as "a non partisan and non party person".
Political analysts described the nomination of Judge Siddiqui as "potentially political masterstroke", saying there was every chance that he could defeat Mr Zardari.
"Nawaz has done very well," one said .
"He's finally called Zardari's bluff. He's nominated someone who is highly regarded and there's every chance now that Zardari, assuming he maintains his candidacy, will be defeated."
Mr Sharif is the junior partner in the coalition, but most polls show him to be the country's most popular leader because of his dogged insistence on the judges' reinstatement. Mr Zardari, worried the judges may overturn an amnesty granted to him over corruption charges, has blocked their reinstatment.
The PPP is confident that it can continue to govern, forming alliances with other parties, including two once loyal to Mr Musharraf, the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and the Karachi-based Muttahida Quami Movement.
There are, however, signs of deepening problems for Mr Zardari, with one of the smaller parties in the coalition, theJUI-F religious party led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, raising doubts about Mr Zardari's leadership and criticising him over the failure to reinstate the judges.
Mr Sharif's move on to the opposition benches is a major blow to hopes for a stable democracy in Pakistan. There is widespread expectation the split will be followed by renewed political turmoil that could set the stage for yet another military intervention.
The PML (N) and PPP are longstanding rivals, but there had been hopes that after almost nine years of military dictatorship they could create a workable democracy.
As recently as August 5, Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif signed a declaration promising the judges would be restored within 24 hours of Mr Musharraf leaving office. Since the former military dictator resigned last Monday to avoid impeachment proceedings last Monday, Mr Zardari shifted ground again.
Mr Zardari had earlier warned that Pakistan and the world were losing the war on terror, as US intelligence indicated that al-Qa'ida had built a force of 18,500 foreign fighters in North West Frontier Province far higher than previous estimates.
"The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they definitely have the upper hand," Mr Zardari said in his first statement since being nominated for the presidency by the PPP.
Following Mr Zardari's warning, security supremo Rehman Malik banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which brings together al-Qa'ida and Taliban forces.
Dr Malik, Mr Zardari's right-hand man, said all TTP's bank accounts and other assets would be frozen with immediate effect.
The banning came after Dr Malik had rejected a ceasefire offer from the TTP in the key Bajaur Agency, where fighting has been raging for more than a fortnight. The TTP is headed by Baitullah Mehsood.
On three occasions in the past few days, TTP has claimed responsibility for suicide attacks - including an assault on Pakistan's munitions complex on the outskirts of Islamabad, and the bombing of an emergency ward in the NWFP.
Most analysts believe the ban on TTP will do little. Al-Qa'ida-linked organisations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba are banned, but operate openly.
Source: The Australian
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