Government crisis averted by intervention of the prime minister, who asks for consideration of the good of the country, and calls upon the government to make one last effort. The former head of the supreme court says it is "possible" that President Musarraf could face charges.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Pakistan's prime minister rejects the resignation of nine ministers of the Muslim League, and calls upon the government, in office for six weeks, to make "a last effort" to save the coalition. Yousaf Raza Gilani, who entered office at the end of March, has asked the League and the People's Party (of which he is vice chairman) to "set aside misunderstandings and work for the good of the country".

The crisis of the government emerged last May 12, when the leaders of the two largest parties that make up the governing coalition - Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif - did not reach an agreement on the reinstatement of the 60 judges expelled by Musharraf last November, during the state of emergency. According to much of the population, the agreement failed because People's Party leader Zardari is afraid of new accusations of corruption.

In the meantime, the former head of the supreme court - Iftikhar Chaudry, considered by the population the only real guarantor of the independence of judicial power - has said he is "confident" that the judges will be reinstated, and has said that it is "feasible" that president Musharraf could face charges for the proclamation of the state of emergency and the repression of the political opposition while he was still the head of the armed forces.

• Pakistan
• government
• crisis
• coalition
• resignation
• charges
• corruption
• repression
• Musharraf
• judges
• judiciary
• Chaudry
• Muslim