By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan’s ruling coalition will face a defining moment for its possible breakup on Monday after the three-day talks on the judges’ issue in London ended in deadlock.
After the talks, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to reach a deal on restoring the judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf last year under a state of emergency.
Earlier, the two coalition parties had held talks on the issue in Dubai and failed to bridge their differences.
The PML-N pledged unconditional reinstatement of the judges through a single resolution, while the PPP maintained that the reinstatement of the judges should be part of a package of constitutional amendments.
The PPP and PML-N won the Feb. 18 elections and formed a coalition government, putting the judges’ issue top on the agenda.
The PML-N, led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, set May 12 as the deadline for reinstating the judges after the two sides failed to meet the first deadline set on April 30.
Sharif had threatened to leave the ruling coalition if the judges’ issue could not be solved.
Sharif flew into Islamabad from London on Monday morning to convene a meeting of PML-N central executive committee, and would make an “important announcement” at a press conference later on Monday.