LAHORE, June 18: Two rounds of talks, within three hours, between PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday failed to bridge their differences on a possible impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf and reinstatement of deposed judges.

The two leaders, who also held a one-to-one meeting over lunch at the Raiwind residence of Mr Sharif, agreed only to meet again on Friday.

Neither of them faced the ‘uninvited’ media personnel waiting outside the venue.

Raja Zafarul Haq, Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Javed Hashmi, Zulfikar Khosa and Ahsan Iqbal assisted Mr Sharif while Rehman Malik, Jehangir Badr, Raja Riaz, Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas and Azizur Rehman Chan accompanied Mr Zardari. The talks focused on the judges’ issue, the proposed constitutional package and differences between the two coalition partners over the Punjab government.

Ahsan Iqbal, PML-N’s information secretary, admitted that the two sides had differences on modalities for reinstating the judges, but said efforts were on to overcome them.

He said discussions on the constitutional package would continue and Mr Zardari would call on the PML-N chief again on Friday to sort out differences.

Mr Ahsan said his party had set two targets — restoration of the judiciary as it was on Nov 2 and strengthening the coalition government. He said the PML-N was sticking to the Murree Declaration to ensure “survival of the country” and the rule of law.

He said his party wanted the coalition to succeed so that the ‘designs’ of President Musharraf and “other powers out to damage the democratic government are thwarted”.

Terming the lawyers’ long march successful, Mr Ahsan said it had once again showed that the masses were unwavering in their commitment to see the “exit of President Musharraf and his associates”.

He said the change for which the masses had brought the two parties to power could be realised only after the removal of President Musharraf.

The PML-N had once again refused to join the federal cabinet until the reinstatement of the judges, Mr Ahsan added.

Ghulam Mustafa Khar, the former Punjab chief minister, also called on Nawaz Sharif.