Pakistan alliance dies after 7 years

However, both sides did things that contributed to the parting of ways. The PPP chose PML-N as its ally, spurning offers from the Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam, which would have delivered Punjab to the PPP. Instead, it offered the choicest ministries to the PML-N and agreed to play second fiddle to it in Punjab.

With Asif Ali Zardari repeatedly going back on pledges to restore the ousted judges, doubts were raised in PML-N ranks about the credibility of its partner. Nawaz Sharif cooperated with the coalition government even after the departure of his party's ministers, declined to take part in the lawyers' movement and tried to maintain the alliance with PPP, thus inviting criticism from his erstwhile friends in the All Parties Democratic Movement. But he contributed to the break-up by displaying unusual rigidity and insisting on clear-cut dates despite knowing the limitations under which Zardari was working. There are many who think that instead of calling back his nominees from the committee appointed to draft the resolution for the reinstatement of judges, Nawaz should have waited until the Parliament made a decision on the resolution.

What is needed now is to avoid reverting to the type of unseemly struggles that characterised relations between the two parties from 1988 to 1999. Both are within their rights to criticise each other, but they should do nothing that upsets the apple cart. There are a lot of positive things the two can do while they maintain adversarial relations.

But whatever the shape of the coalition, the PPP would still lack the two-thirds majority needed to effect the much-needed amendments in the constitution without the help of the PML-N.