Coalition talks see many a flip-flop

ISLAMABAD â€" Negotiations between the partners of the ruling coalition, which seemed to be making headway on Tuesday, saw many a flip-flop on Wednesday and could not make any headway on the impeachment of President Musharraf as news regarding the approval of the summary of reinstatement of eight judges of Sindh High Court by President of Pakistan had virtually torpedoed the parleys.

Both sides could not recover from this damage of trust between them till late at night and the only positive thing was that they were clinging to the negotiations, giving hope to the survival of the alliance.

The mistrust created by the move on reinstatement of the judges of Sindh High Court had offended the PML(N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif and his team and they left Zardari House empty-handed.

Talking to newsmen, PML-N leader said that the nation would have a good news when leaders of both parties will address a joint Press conference today. Joint declaration of the coalition summit meeting will be issued at 11 am today while the joint Press conference will take place at 3 pm. Sources privy to the developments informed The Nation that the doves on both sides got into action and managed to dilute the situation emerging out of the move on judges by the President Musharraf and Governor Sindh.

Later, Mian Nawaz Sharif visited Zardari House again and both went into another one-on-one round with Asif Ali Zardari, which continued till late at night and then both of them came to Punjab House where again both the leaders, joined by their aides, went into another marathon session to thrash out this fresh irritant, ostensibly floated by the establishment to mar the negotiations.

Both the sides were in session in Punjab House till the filing of this report.

The sources disclosed that the Prime Minister was also kept in the picture on the deliberations by these leaders, and added that both sides were optimistic about a positive outcome soon.