Islamabad, May 28 : The estranged coalition partners the PPP and the PML-N have reportedly arrived at a common understanding of clipping the powers of President Pervez Musharraf, but couldn’t make any headway on the lingering issue of the reinstatement of sacked judges.

PPP Co-chairman Asif lai Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif met last evening once again (for nearly two hours at Punjab House) after the latter decided to walk out of the coalition government around two weeks ago.

After their meeting – the first since their inconclusive talks in London that resulted in resignations of PML-N ministers from the federal cabinet – the two leaders avoided the media.

Sources privy to the meeting, however, revealed that Sharif kept insisting on de-linking the restoration of the judiciary sacked on November 3, 2007, from the proposed
62-point constitutional package.

“Nawaz Sharif stuck to his stance that the reinstatement of deposed judges should not be linked with the constitutional amendment package,” the Daily Times quoted a source as saying.

The PML-N wants the reinstatement of the sacked judiciary in line with the Murree Declaration, and is ready to support the much anticipated reforms package in return, the sources said and added that Zardari assured the PML-N that the sacked judges would soon be restored, but did not go into details.

The sources also said that Sharif also pressed Zardari for the impeachment of Musharraf as soon as possible. “Nawaz was of the view that the coalition government should impeach President Musharraf when they move the constitutional reforms package in parliament,” said a source.

Talking to reporters, PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said that the PML-N would support the reforms package if it is in line with the Charter of Democracy (CoD). “Zardari told us that this constitutional package is not final and PPP will seek input from all the coalition partners,” he said, and added that the PML-N wanted the restoration of the sacked judges. “They also agreed that sacked judges should be reinstated soon,” he said. (ANI)