Special report: Pakistani Situation

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C) attends a press conference in Islamabad, May 12, 2008. PML-N leader Sharif announced Monday that the PML-N ministers would resign following the failure of talks with PPP on the issue of deposed judges.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    ISLAMABAD, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The ministers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Tuesday afternoon, marking the end of the six-week-old coalition government.

    PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif announced Monday that the PML-N ministers would resign following the failure of talks with PPP on the issue of deposed judges.

    The PPP and PML-N emerged as the two largest parties in National Assembly, lower house of the parliament, in the general elections held on Feb. 18.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C) attends a press conference in Islamabad, May 12, 2008. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The two parties agreed to form a coalition government and also pledged to restore the deposed judges within 30 days from the day when the government was formed.

    However, the PML-N set May 12 as the second deadline for reinstating the judges after the two failed to meet the first deadline set on April 30.

    The three-day London talks between the two parties ended in deadlock on Sunday because they failed to bridge differences over the judges' issue.

    The PML-N insisted that the sacked judges should be reinstated unconditionally before April 30 as per the agreement reached in Murree.

    But the PPP said that the independence of judiciary was more important than the simple restoration of judges and preferred to bring about a constitutional package to resolve the issue.

PPP not to field candidates against PML-N leaders in by-elections

    ISLAMABAD, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman Tuesday said Pakistan People's Party (PPP) would not field its candidates against Mian Nawaz Sharif and other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders during the upcoming by-polls. Full story

PML-N ministers to pull out of Pakistan's cabinet

    ISLAMABAD, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Nawaz Sharif, chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced Monday that the PML-N ministers would resign Tuesday.

    Sharif made the remarks while addressing a news conference at the Punjab House here. Full story