Though there was no agreement between the PPP and Musharraf before his resignation, there was “a general understanding that we are not looking to (get) into any messy fights,” he said.

Zardari said the future President could grant Musharraf a pardon. He also said he thought the President should not have the power to dissolve Parliament.

The PML-N reacted angrily to Zardari’s comments, with party spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq saying it appeared that the PPP wanted to get “maximum power”. If agreements between political parties are not honoured, they become “tools of deception”, Farooq said.

The PPP had also not yet responded to PML-N chief Sharif’s query on whether the deposed judges would be reinstated by Monday, Farooq said.

“There has been no feedback but they have made their response clear in Mr Zardari’s interview,” he said.

The PML-N would also not participate in the meeting of the committee drafting the resolution to be tabled in Parliament for restoring the judges as the process had now become “irrelevant”, Farooq said.

“Since Zardari has not fulfilled his promise and he has backed out, we are free to take our own decisions,” he said.

Even if the PML-N were to pull out of the ruling coalition, Zardari is widely expected to win the presidential poll with the backing of lawmakers of smaller parties like the Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami and Muttahida Qaumi Movement and independent and tribal parliamentarians.