It was obvious from the start that PML (N) and PPP are not going to get along forever, but the alliance didn't even last for 8 months and today Nawaz Sharif announced that his party is leaving the ruling coalition.
In reality, both parties have very different views on almost every issue, but the breaking point was the issue of restoring the judges fired by Musharraf. PPP, JUI, ANP and MQM are in sync on this issue, but Nawaz Sharif has decided to stick to his original demand. No body knows what is going on behind the scenes between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, but this breakup is not good for the country.
There are five major forces in Pakistan's National Assembly today and four of them (PPP, ANP, MQM and JUI) don't share PML's (N) opinion about restoring the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. These parties believe that Iftikhar Chaudhry has become too political because of his speeches, protests, and marches.
Nawaz Sharif and his party (correctly) believe that Ch. Iftikhar stood up to Musharraf while Musharraf was at the height of his power and therefore, he has become a symbol of resilience, defiance and courage, and he has earned the right to be restored unconditionally.
Because of his courage, Ch. Iftikhar has been hailed throughout the country and it is impossible to understand why four out of five parties are opposing him. It just does not make any sense that political parties are opposing a man who is adored by a large majority in Pakistan, but again, there is nothing simple about Pakistan anyway.
It would have been wise for Zardari and rest of the parties to quickly restore the judges and focus their collective energies and time on solving other more pressing issues, but they have opted for a different option.
It should be noted that Nawaz Sharif is taking a stand based on principals. If he acted responsibly while being in opposition, it won't be long before he is the next Prime Minister.
Bilal Qureshi
