Looks like I may have spoken too soon. Nawaz Sharif's party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, has pulled out of Pakistan's ruling coalition after failing to come to an agreement with the majority Pakistan People's Party on legislation to reinstate judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf.

The two parties agreed on May 2 to submit legislation to the parliament today reinstating the judges who were fired by Musharraf after he declared a state of emergency in November. This is the second self-imposed deadline that the coalition has missed since coming to power in February. Sharif, who hopes to lay the groundwork for Musharraf's impeachment, made reinstating the judges the major issue in his campaign. PPP leader Asif Zardari is less enthusiastic but bringing the judges back, possibly because of his own questionable legal status.

Sharif says he has no intention of playing spoiler in the parliament and will work with the PPP on a case-by-case basis. All the same, it looks like Musharraf may have squeaked out of another tight spot.