ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s fragile governing coalition cracked open Monday as one of its major parties withdrew from the Cabinet, less than three months after elections that had united rival factions opposed to President Pervez Musharraf.
Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, announced his party would leave all federal posts after talks broke down with the Pakistan People’s Party over how to restore the country’s former chief justice and 60 other judges who had been fired in November by Musharraf.
Sharif said his party would remain in parliament and had no desire to damage the government or the country.
The split was seen by analysts as a significant blow to Pakistan’s progress toward mature democratic rule and a deep disappointment to the public, which ousted Musharraf’s party at the polls and had demanded the restoration of the judges.
