Pakistan's major parties agree on coalition gov't

China View, March 9, 2008

Asif Ali Zardari (R), widower of slain Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and leader of the Pakistan People's Party, shakes hands with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during a joint news conference in Bhurban near Islamabad March 9, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif (L) and Asif Ali Zardari (R), widower of the slain opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party, speak during a joint news conference in Bhurban near Islamabad March 9, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

ISLAMABAD, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani's two leading political leaders said Sunday that they had agreed to form a coalition government with the prime minister from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

"We undertake to form a coalition together for Pakistan, as the people of Pakistan had given mandate to the democratic forces on February 18," said Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) at the news conference after his meeting with PPPCo-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari at the scenic town of Murree in eastern Pakistan.

"We have fruitful meeting today, we are at the verge of making history, it was the desire of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto," Zardari, former PM Benazir Bhutto's widower, told a joint news conference with Sharif.

In a joint declaration at the end of their talks, Sharif and Zardari agreed to reappoint the Supreme Court justices, especially Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who were ousted by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Nov. 3, 2007 when he imposed the state of emergency.

They agreed that the deposed judges would be restored through a parliamentary resolution within 30 days, according to the joint declaration.

Parliamentary elections took place on Feb. 18 this year, and according to the Election Commission results, the PPP has secured 120 seats for the 342-seat National Assembly, the PML-N has 90 and the PML-Q, which backs Musharraf, has 51.

The Awami National Party, a nationalist secular party mostly centered in the North-West Frontier Province, which has also announced to join the coalition, has bagged 13 National Assembly seats.

Independent victors and smaller groups are expected to join the coalition which will enable the coalition to gain the two-thirds majority in parliament needed to impeach Musharraf and to amend the constitution.