Pakistani PM trying to salvage coalition

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called for a last-ditch effort to save his government yesterday, after refusing to accept the resignations of Cabinet ministers from a coalition partner.

Nawaz Sharif, who heads the second-biggest party in the coalition, announced on Monday his members were quitting the Cabinet after failing to reach agreement to reinstate judges dismissed late last year by President Pervez Musharraf.

A four-party coalition led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was formed after an election in February that resulted in defeat for former army chief President Musharraf's allies.

The alliance between the PPP and Mr Sharif's party raised hopes for a stable civilian government in a country ruled by generals for more than half its history since its independence in 1947.

Nine ministers from Mr Sharif's party, including Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, handed in their resignations on Tuesday but Prime Minister Gilani declined to accept them.

"Let's make a last-minute effort, so that this issue is somehow resolved," Mr Gilani told Mr Sharif's aides in comments telecast by state-run Pakistan TV.

Mr Gilani wanted to wait for Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who now leads the PPP, and was due to return to Pakistan from Britain last night.

Mr Zardari says he is committed to restoring the judges but wants to link it to constitutional changes, whereas Mr Sharif wants the judges reinstated without conditions.