August 29, 2008	Friday	Sha'aban 26, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: Contacts between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N established at different levels on Thursday resulted in further widening of the split rather than reviving the coalition, which fell apart on Aug 25 because of differences over the reinstatement of judges and the unilateral nomination of Asif Zardari as presidential candidate.

PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif talked on phone for the first time since the latter quit the ruling coalition. PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan called on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and a PPP delegation met the PML-N leader at the Punjab House.

Sources said Mr Zardari requested Mr Sharif to withdraw Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui from the race for the presidency and also urged him to return to the coalition. But Mr Sharif told Mr Zardari “we have come too far and it would not be possible for me to back out of my party’s commitment on the judges’ issue”.

The PML-N chief also turned down Mr Zardari’s request to withdraw Mr Siddiqui from the presidential race.

Both PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Sherry Rehman confirmed that the two leaders had talked on phone, but claimed that the issue of presidential election was not discussed. They said Mr Sharif thanked the PPP co-chairman for tendering an apology to him in his televised address soon after the announcement that Mr Sharif had quit the ruling coalition.

According to Mr Iqbal, the PML-N chief told Mr Zardari that his party had taken the decision after a detailed deliberation and waited long for the implementation of pledges made by the PPP.

Mr Sharif, however, assured Mr Zardari that the PML-N would adhere to the Charter of Democracy, signed by him and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto two years ago.

Mr Iqbal said that the PPP co-chairman was told it was no possible for the PML-N to return to the coalition.

The sources said Mr Zardari sent Federal Labour Minister Syed Khurshid Shah and the prime minister’s adviser, Manzoor Wattoo, to the Punjab House with a request to Nawaz Sharif for withdrawal of Mr Siddiqui. However, Chaudhry Nisar and Senator Ishaq Dar politely refused to do so.

Later, Mr Nisar called on the prime minister and asked him to notify resignations of the PML-N ministers submitted on May 12 after the expiry of the second deadline for reinstatement of judges.

He also requested the prime minister to allocate seats on opposition benches in the National Assembly to PML-N’s legislators.