Nawaz Sharif on Monday decided to pull out Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ministers from the government over differences with the PPP on the thorny issue of reinstating judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf, raising doubts over the survival of the 43-day old coalition.
The PML-N ministers will submit their resignations to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani on Tuesday, Sharif told a crowded press conference at the end of a marathon meeting of top party leaders in Islamabad.
PML-N will remain in the Pakistan People's Party-led coalition and extend issue-based support to the government, he said.
Sharif's party has nine ministers in the 24-member Cabinet, which was sworn in on March 31.
Sharif, 58, who was deposed as premier in a military coup by Musharraf in 1999, said his party will 'not rest' till the judges were restored and Musharraf removed from his post.
"We are quitting the Cabinet because the promise to reinstate the judges was not fulfilled," Sharif said while referring to the May 12 deadline, which ended on Monday.
"We wanted the coalition to remain intact because it was very necessary for the health of Pakistan's political and democratic system. But we had to take this step because if the judges are not restored, the consequences will be grave," he said.
The November three sacking of the judges by President Pervez Musharraf was 'shameful'.
A dictator removed judges to suit his own interest.
"They have to be restored with dignity," the PML-N chief said.
Monday's decision came against the backdrop of last week's talks between Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and their close aides in London which failed to bridge their differences on modalities to restore the sacked judges.
The PML-N move will raise questions over the stability of the government and the process of the country's transition to democracy.
"We don't want to be part of any package that punishes judges who stand up to a dictator and reward those who bow before him. The judges should be reinstated to roll back the actions taken by Musharraf during the emergency," he said.
"It will be more harmful than anything else if the judges are not reinstated. It is related to life of Pakistan. So I think, for now, this matter which we are facing, is the most serious one before the nation in last 50 years," he said.
The PML-N's decision was announced by Sharif who presided over a marathon meeting of the party's parliamentary party and central working committee.
A second deadline set by Sharif for reinstating 60 judges deposed by Musharraf during last-year's emergency expired on Monday with no signs of a meeting point on the issue between Sharif and Zardari.
"I have to say with sadness that we (ministers) are leaving the government. I am personally very saddened by this, but we are equally sad that the deposed judges have not been restored," Sharif said.
"We have decided to quit the cabinet. Our ministers will be relinquishing their posts on Tuesday. They will be going to the Prime Minister's House to tender their resignations," Sharif said, adding that the 'nation is more important than the government'.
Sharif made it clear that his party will not take any decision that would strengthen what he called 'dictatorship' under Musharraf.
"We will not be part of any conspiracy aimed at strengthening dictatorships. We want the unconditional, dignified and honourable return of the judges," he said, explaining that his party would not destabilise the government.
"We will not sit on opposition benches for the time being," Sharif said, adding that his party will continue to sit with the PPP in the treasury benches and support the government on an 'issue-to-issue basis'.
In his first reaction, PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the PML-N's decision did not signal the 'beginning of the end of the coalition government'.
The PML-N's move was expected as Sharif had made the reinstatement of judges a key condition for joining the coalition.
"We are the second biggest party and we had only one condition when we agreed to join the government due to Zardari's persuasion -- the restoration of the judges," Sharif said.