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Benazir's party denies deal

Nirupama Subramanian

Rumour a conspiracy to break Opposition unity, says PPP

ISLAMABAD: As tensions increased in the Opposition alliance over speculation about a deal between Benazir Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said the talk was a conspiracy to tarnish its image and break up Opposition unity.

"If the PPP had to cut a deal with the military, it would not have paid the price of leaving its leaders to endure eight years of jail, and no one should forget that the party has earned its right to challenge the status quo from a position it has never compromised on," said party information secretary Sherry Rehman in a statement on Saturday. The Daily Times reported that Ms. Bhutto and Gen. Musharraf had already struck a deal to allow the PPP leader to lead the campaign for her party in the 2007 election, and that she would be allowed to return free from the fear of arrest by June next year.

Speculation persists

The speculation has persisted even after a statement by the President earlier this week that while he would hold a "free and fair" election in 2007, Ms. Bhutto and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif would not be allowed to contest.

Ms. Bhutto is scheduled to meet PML(N) leader, with whom she set aside differences earlier this year to form an alliance for the ouster the Musharraf regime, in London on October 19.

One of the issues that is expected to come up at the meeting is the reported deal between her and General Musharraf.

On Friday, a senior leader of the PML(N) said the meeting would be the "last opportunity" to resolve the tensions in their alliance.

Ms. Rehman said the military regime was "nervous" at the prospect of the two Opposition leaders meeting once again, and dismissed all speculation of a deal between her leader and Gen. Musharraf as "an attempt to drive a wedge in the Opposition ranks".

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