The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Islamabad

Just a day after Pervez Musharraf's resignation, Pakistan's governing coalition fell into wrangling Tuesday over restoring the judges he fired, exposing troublesome divisions that could disrupt picking his successor as president. Pakistanis have been urging the government to set aside political bickering and tackle extremist violence and economic downturn - challenges underscored Tuesday by a bombing outside a hospital and new battles between the army and militants.

But, as it has for months, the issue of judges revealed itself as a severe strain in the alliance between the two main parties that won February parliamentary elections after running against Musharraf. The one-time military ruler was believed to be in his army-guarded residence near the capital, Islamabad. Analysts speculated Musharraf wants guarantees against criminal prosecution or forced exile, but Law Minister Farooq Naek said "no deal" had been reached.

The U.S.-backed leader reluctantly ended his nine-year presidency Monday in the face of the ruling coalition's move to impeach him in Parliament.

With the constitution requiring the election of a new president by Parliament within 30 days, the governing parties must quickly agree on a replacement or risk a damaging power struggle.

But the sharp disagreement over how to reinstate Supreme Court justices removed by Musharraf last year raised questions about the coalition's stability.

Musharraf purged the court in an attempt to avoid legal challenges to his rule, but the maneuver only deepened his unpopularity, propelling his rivals to victory in the elections.

It also turned the judges into controversial political players.