Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari's ruling party, facing intense pressure from Pakistan's powerful generals, lobbied its coalition partners on Friday for support as tension raised fear over the stability of the country.
A disputed memo allegedly from Zardari's government seeking US help in reining in the generals soured relations between the civilian leadership and the military to their lowest point since a coup in 1999.
Political sources said the government was planning to table a confidence motion in parliament in support of the civilian leaders.
But some coalition partners of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) warned that Zardari and his allies should not push the military too hard, fearful of another huge crisis in the nuclear-armed country facing a Taliban insurgency.
"The government has told us about its plans to table a resolution," said a member of parliament from a major coalition ally of the PPP.
"We will support any such resolution as it will be a move to strengthen democracy in the country, but it will be difficult for us to support any resolution which targets any state institution," the politician said, referring to the army.
Military sources say that while they would like Zardari to go, it should be through constitutional means, not another of the coups that have marked half of Pakistan's almost 65 years of independence.
While analysts say the military would be capable of pulling off a coup, several factors prevent it from doing so.
Comments
0 comment