Islamabad (PTI): Offering a trade off to ruling PPP, Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) has said it was ready to back a controversial law that scrapped graft cases against leaders of its coalition partner if its demand for reinstating judges sacked during emergency is met.

Ruling out further talks on the issue, Siddique-ul- Farooq, spokesman of PML (N) which pulled out from the cabinet on May 13 after it failed to get the judges reinstated, however, remained no-committal on supporting a constitutional amendment package drafted by the PPP to restore judiciary.

Farooq said his party's backing for a constitutional protection of the National Reconciliation Ordinance would also depend on the PPP agreeing to restore the constitution to its position on Oct 12, 1999, when the then Sharif government was deposed in a bloodless coup by President Pervez Musharraf.

The NRO, issued by Musharraf in October last year, dropped all corruption cases against PPP leaders, including PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his slain wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, and facilitated their homecoming from self-imposed exile.

Observers have said the PPP's reluctance to reinstate the deposed judges stems from the belief that they could reopen legal challenges to the NRO.

Farooq said there was no need for further talks between the two parties and the PML-N would like PPP to take measures to "honour its commitment" on reinstating the judges sacked by Musharraf during last year's emergency.

Though Sharif is arriving in Islamabad from Lahore to meet visiting External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, he is not expected to meet Zardari on Tuesday.