The Hindu : International : Musharraf-PPP talks resume in Dubai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007
ePaper

International

International

Musharraf-PPP talks resume in Dubai

Nirupama Subramanian

Three main issues being discussed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto and emissaries of President Pervez Musharraf resumed talks in Dubai on Tuesday to renegotiate hurdles in the proposed power sharing agreement.

Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem said three main issues were being discussed: the PPP’s demand that President Musharraf should quit his army post before seeking re-election; that the constitution should be amended to take away the President’s powers to dissolve Parliament; and that the bar on a third term for a Prime Minister should go.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q)’s refusal to support President Musharraf if he decided to make any of these changes to the Constitution led to the stalling of the previous round of talks in London.

Mr. Azeem said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q) was of the firm belief that the President’s powers to dissolve Parliament should stay, as these were a safety valve against martial law, and enabled the President to call elections if he was dissatisfied with the functioning of the government. “At the moment, we would like 58 (2) (B) [the relevant article in the Constitution] to stay” he said.

The ruling party president Chaudhary Shujat Hussain met President Musharraf during the day, and according to Mr. Azeem, was informed of the meeting between the President’s emissaries and Mr. Bhutto. The PML (Q) leader was assured by the President that he would be taken into confidence about the negotiations.

The Deputy Information Minister said it was the government’s hope that “we can reach an agreement reasonably quickly and to the satisfaction of both parties”.

National Security Council secretary Tariq Aziz and the President’s chief of staff Lt. Gen Javaed Hamid are reported to have taken a fresh package of concessions to Ms. Bhutto. The meeting was held at her home in Dubai. With the PPP leader were party vice-president Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Rehman Malik, a retired police official who is a close confidante of Ms. Bhutto.

A bland PPP statement issued after the talks said the “dialogue” between the two sides for a “transition to democracy through holding of free, fair and impartial elections” resumed in Dubai on Tuesday.

“There was discussion on some unresolved issues pertaining to the balance of power between the Parliament and the Presidency. Arrangements for free and fair elections were discussed where some progress was made for which dialogue will continue,” the PPP said.

Mr. Fahim told Dawn TV that the PPP had put up the three main demands. “The ball is now in the government’s court,” he said.

He said the PPP expected that the government would respond soon as “time is running out fast.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail