ISAS Briefs

The recent breakdown of talks between the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) [PML (N)] and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the re-instatement of the judiciary and the withdrawal of federal ministers by the PML (N) from the ruling coalition have threatened to derail coalition politics in Pakistan and deal another body blow to the process of democratisation in the country. At the heart of this matter is the reinstatement of judges of the Supreme Court who were deposed by President Musharraf under emergency rule and the Provisional Constitutional Order of 3 November 2007. Both the PML (N) and the PPP agreed in the Bhurban declaration of 9 March 2008 that the judges would be reinstated through a resolution within 30 days of the formation of the government.