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Musharraf must shed uniform, says Benazir Bhutto

LONDON: The former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, on Sunday ruled out power-sharing deal with President Parvez Musharraf unless he relinquished his military role and delinked the office of the President from the army.

Ms. Bhutto, who held secret talks with Gen. Musharraf in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week, told Sky TV that for the deal to go through, it was absolutely essential that he gave up the uniform.

Ms Bhutto said she had “very great reservations about a uniformed President”.

Asked pointedly whether she was ruling out any agreement with Gen. Musharraf if he continued to dither on this issue, she said: “That’s right. The post of army chief should be separate from President.”

Ms. Bhutto, who was speaking from Leeds where she was holding a meeting with her Pakistan People’s Party activists, also insisted that the constitutional provision which bans anyone from becoming Prime Minister for a third time should be revoked.

After seizing power in a coup in 1999, Gen. Musharraf amended the Constitution on the third term — a move she believes was directed against her.

“This is an issue that is part of the discussions,” she said calling for the old Constitution to be revived.

Though her meeting with Gen. Musharraf has been widely reported around the world, Ms. Bhutto curiously refused to confirm it.

She would only say that both sides were “engaged in talks that could pave the way for the restoration of democracy” in Pakistan. “But we are not there yet.”

Asked how she rated her chances of returning to Pakistan and contesting the elections, expected later this year, Ms. Bhutto said: “The chances are very good — 90 per cent out of 100 per cent but there are many a slip between the cup and the lip and I don’t want to start counting my chickens before they are hatched.”

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