Decision to join PPP-led govt bitter pill to swallow: Sharif

“We have told Zardari that we are together with you in every way but we don’t want to be part of the Cabinet as we don’t want to take oath from Musharraf,” Sharif said.

PML-N leaders did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani on Tuesday to protest the presence of Musharraf, who administered the oath.

“Zardari kept insisting and we finally accepted. This is a bitter medicine we had to swallow. For the bigger cause of reinstating the deposed judges, we have sacrificed,” he said.

Despite the formation of the coalition Government, Sharif pointed out that there “are still several problems looming before us like a mountain”.

The new administration will have to deal with issues like bombings and suicide attacks, rising prices, unemployment, shortages of gas, power and flour, external and internal debts and a “broken judiciary”.