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Dubai: Friction between the Pakistan ruling coalition partners the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has deepened following a decision to expand the federal cabinet.
"We are going to expand the cabinet by appointing new ministers and advisors to streamline the functioning of various ministries," Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters in Dubai yesterday.
Though Gilani, who stopped over in Dubai to hold an urgent meeting with PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said that the coalition partners in the government are working closely, a highly placed source said that a decision has been taken to fill the cabinet positions lying vacant after PML-N ministers quit.
The PML-N representatives in the Cabinet resigned following that party's differences with the PPP on the issue of restoration of deposed Supreme court judges and the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf.
While Sharif wants immediate restoration of the judges and impeachment of the president, Zardari wants it through legislation in the parliament.
Sharif withdrew its ministers from the federal government as a protest accusing the PPP of failing to not meet its commitment.
Gilani and Zardari met for more than five hours until 2am at a hotel in Dubai to discuss various issues including the expansion of the cabinet and future course of action in case Sharif decides to quit the ruling coalition completely. Federal Information Minister Sherry Rahman, Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Khursheed Shah and Minister for Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira also attended the meeting. Even the information minister remained tight-lipped and did not divulge any details of the meeting.
"The meeting decided that the party's senior leadership will speak to the PML-N to make its stand clear. Sharif will be asked to stop playing the role of opposition while sitting in the government," a senior PPP leader told Gulf News.
Stronger ties
"He should fully support the government, take back ministries and cooperate with the PPP on the issue of judges. Otherwise the PPP would adopt a new course of action and will strengthen its relations with other coalition partner," the source said.
Zardari is expected to meet Sharif again in London within a few days. Several PML-N leaders have indicated that their party would wait till the end of the month for the reinstatement of the judges and it is likely to quit the federal government if the deadlock persists. "We have prepared a strategy to keep the government stable in case PML-N decides to quit," said a PPP leader.
Responding to a question on the whitepaper issued by the opposition parties criticising the government's first 100 days' performance, Gilani said that he would soon address the nation and answer all the questions. "I am going to address the nation soon after I go back to Pakistan because there are a number of issues I want to clarify to the people of Pakistan," he said.
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