Zardari to be PPP’s Prez candidate, coalition crisis deepens

Heeding his party's wishes, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari decided to contest the September six Presidential election.

Heeding his party’s wishes, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari decided to contest the Sept six Presidential election, but the ruling coalition appeared to be heading for a deeper crisis over the issue of reinstatement of judges sacked by former President Pervez Musharraf.

“Mr Asif Zardari has accepted to contest the election for the office of President of Pakistan after the party unanimously drafted him to do so,” PPP deputy secretary general Raza Rabbani told reporters.

Pakistan’s ruling PPP leaders had on Friday overwhelmingly backed Zardari for the post of President.

However, the crisis in the Government triggered by the second largest partner of the coalition PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif threatening to pull out over the judges issue, appeared to have deepened with Sharif cutting short the deadline from Wednesday.

At a press conference in Lahore, he demanded that the PPP should say by tonight whether the Government would reinstate the sacked judges by Monday. Sharif also did not commit his party’s support to Zardari’s candidature for the Presidential post.

Asked about the PML-N’s insistence on the restoration of the judges, Rabbani evaded a direct reply and said it was difficult to set deadlines for such a matter.

Rabbani described the restoration of the deposed judges as a ‘sensitive legal issue’ and pointed out that the PPP would ‘fulfil all its promises’ and find solutions to the problem.

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He said the ‘judges will be restored’ but added a timeframe would be announced at a later date.