ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan’s coalition government leaders are meeting today to discuss reinstating the judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf during his declaration of emergency rule in late 2007.  By removing the judges, many believe Musharraf greatly abused his power and it has been a significant issue in Pakistani politics since.

When the coalition was formed in February after the parliamentary election (see Impunity Watch article here), it vowed to reinstate the judges by the end of April.  However, the coalition parties are struggling to resolve their differences and thus have not been able to reach a conclusion.  Analysts believe that the shaky coalition’s future rests on its ability to resolve this problem, and the future of Pakistan’s democracy is strongly connected to the coalition.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Crisis talks over Pakistan judges – 30 April 2008

Impunity Watch – UPDATE: Pakistan Opposition Parties Form Coalition Government – 22 February 2008

International Herald Tribune – Pakistan’s leaders close to deadline in talks on reinstating sacked judges – 30 April 2008