Pakistan's ruling parties appeared closer Thursday to resolving a dispute about how to reinstate judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf, an issue that has threatened to break up the coalition government. A committee of representatives from the coalition's two leading parties agreed on a draft parliamentary resolution aimed at reinstating the judges, Law Minister Farooq Naik said late Wednesday. Key differences remained, however. Two constitutional experts on the committee had a “divergence of views” on how the resolution could be implemented if approved by the country's parliament, said Naik, who nonetheless described the draft agreement as “very big good news.” The law minister did not give details about the draft. He said the two parties' leaders - Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People's Party and ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-N - need to approve it before it heads to the parliament. The party leaders will also be informed about the conflicting views on the resolution's implementation, Naik said. Musharraf fired dozens of judges, including then-Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhary, in November upon declaring a state of emergency. The US-backed president ousted the judges as the Supreme Court was about to rule on whether he was eligible for another term as head of state. Opponents of Musharraf swept general elections in February and formed a coalition whose leaders have made revising Pakistan's role in the US-led war on terror and restoring the judges top priorities. Bringing back the judges could threaten Musharraf's already diminished grip on power if the courts revisit the issue of the retired army general's eligibility for office. But complex political and legal disputes - including what to do with the judges Musharraf installed after the purge - have prevented the parties from meeting a self-imposed April 30 deadline. Sharif is calling for the judges to return quickly, but Zardari wants to link their restoration to a broader constitutional package of judicial reforms. Wrangling over the matter has strained the partnership. The parties have agreed to introduce the resolution by May 12. But Naik, who belongs to Zardari's party, on Wednesday cast doubt on whether even the new deadline could be met, noting that it was unclear how long the party leaders would take to approve the draft. Sadiqul Farooq, a spokesman for Sharif's party, welcomed the draft. “The nation wants results and our credibility is at stake,” he said. Sharif and Zardari were both in London and would meet soon to discuss the resolution, Farooq said. Senior Sharif aides left for Britain on Thursday to assist him. The stability of the new coalition government is being eyed carefully by the United States, which backed Musharraf's often forceful policies in fighting militants along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. The new government has promised a more comprehensive approach that includes negotiations with militants who lay down their arms.
