Pakistan’s two major political parties, Benazir Bhutto's PPP and Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N are hopelessly divided. There is little sign of a rapprochement which can secure the coalition at the centre, run by the PPP, or in Punjab, run by the PML-N. The October 1999 coup brought them together against their common adversary, General Pervez Musharrraf. While they signed a declaration in London for the restoration of democracy, Bhutto was holding secret with Musharraf. Musharraf took a fateful step last March suspending the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. An agitation of unprecedented fury ensued with leading lawyer and PPP leader, Aitzaz Ahsan. Benazir gave him cold comfort and struck a deal with the General and returned to Pakistan from exile. So did Sharif but only with Saudi backing as an earlier attempt at return was foiled.
Benazir’s assassination last December created a new situation. Zardari appointed himself as co-chairman along with his son, Bilawal. Meanwhile, in November, sensing that the apex court would not validate his election as president for another term, Musharraf passed a Provisional Constitution Order sacking some judges and appointing new ones. He also passed a National Reconciliation Ordinance quashing the cases against Benazir and Zardari.
The elections in February threw up hung National Assembly that made a PPP-PML-N coalition inescapable. In March, another declaration was inked on the terms for a coalition that stated that the deposed judges would be restored, on the position as they were on November 2, 2007, within 30 days of the formation of the government through a parliamentary resolution.
On May 13, Sharif withdrew his ministers from the cabinet, but without wrecking the coalitions in Islamabad and Lahore. The situation has only deteriorated since then. Sharif has also raised another issue-the impeachment of Musharraf. He proposes an all-party deal on curbing the President's power to sack the Government and dissolve the National Assembly, appoint the services chiefs and judges of the Supreme Court and High Court. Zardari derives strength from the fizzling out of Ahsan’s Long March of lawyers. Meanwhile, fissures opened between him and Ahsan and between him and Sharif as well.
A clear line has been drawn in the PPP that segregates the old guard from the new. The PPP is being run by new leaders; most of them were from abroad while the ole guard took on Musharraf. However, Zardari fired a salvo at Sharif saying that both he and Musharraf were responsible for Kargil. Sharif also says the PPP government does not con suit his party on major issues. In the mid-June, Zardari took the gloves off and said that the PML-N’s stand on the judge was based on real politics, no morality. It was political advantageous for them. He was not unduly alarmed. The coalitions and the differences would continue to co-exist. More significant was his defense of the army. If it is weakened, the country will be captured by war lords. Since Sharif had attacked Musharraf, not the army Zardari’s remarks suggest he is aware that the army will not allow Musharraf, its former chief, to be humiliated.