Court verdict against former Pakistan prime minister threatens to split ruling coalition

The Lahore high court delivered the politically charged ruling on June 23, in a case filed by Sharifs rival candidate from the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid), or PML (Q). The PML (Q) was set up by the former military dictator and current president, Pervez Musharraf, a key ally of the US Bush administration. The judge who issued the ruling was among the pliant higher court judges appointed by Musharraf.

The PML (N) immediately denounced the court verdict as politically motivated. Party leader Ashan Iqbal told Geo Television that They [the courts] were implementing Musharrafs agenda.

Musharraf seized power in a military coup in October 1999, when he was Pakistans army chief, ousting Sharif from the post of prime minister. Eight years later, in November 2007, Musharraf reluctantly abandoned his army general post amid a deepening political crisis, limiting himself to the civilian position of president. Sharif is calling for the impeachment and trial of Musharraf.

Sharif is also pressing for the reinstatement of fired Pakistani high court judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, a former Musharraf yes-man who subsequently fell out with the latter