Sharif's party to quit Cabinet

Ex-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced yesterday his party was withdrawing from the federal Cabinet but would not oppose Pakistan's six-week old coalition government.

Sharif said ministers from his Muslim League (Nawaz), the second-largest member of a four party alliance, would meet with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today and hand in their resignations.

Sharif announced the move after the failure of weekend talks with the party of Asif Ali Zardari over the restoration of judges axed by President Pervez Musharraf in November.