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PPP-Musharraf talks put on hold

ISLAMABAD: Talks between the Pakistan People’s Party and President Pervez Musharraf on formation of a caretaker government to hold general elections are reported to have been put on hold until the Supreme Court gives its verdict on the presidential election.

The two sides are already said to have discussed several probables for caretaker Prime Minister.

But the Dawn newspaper, quoting unidentified sources, reported that National Security Council Secretary Tariq Aziz, who is leading the talks on behalf of Gen. Musharraf, informed the PPP that a decision on the interim set-up would not be taken until the court decision on Gen. Musharraf’s election was known.

The court is hearing on a daily basis three legal challenges to the candidacy of Gen. Musharraf. Attorney-General Malik Qayyum on Tuesday said the verdict was expected by the end of next week.

Among the names said to have been discussed by the two sides for interim Prime Minister are the former Foreign Minister Sahibzada Yaqoob Khan, the former Prime Minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and the former Governor of Pakistan’s central bank Ishrat Hussain, according to the newspaper.

Several other names are also doing the rounds. The PPP is said to have preferred a person with political experience to a bureaucrat.

The caretaker set-up is to come into existence on November 15, when the five-year term of the National Assembly and the provincial Assemblies ends. Elections have to be held within 60 days, unless the Assemblies are dissolved before the end of their term. In that case, the elections must be held within 90 days.

The President has to appoint a caretaker Prime Minister, and care-taker Chief Ministers for the provinces. A caretaker set-up is already in place in the North West Frontier Province, where the Assembly was dissolved recently.

The PPP is said to be especially concerned about appointments in the Punjab and Sindh, the biggest provinces which return the most number of parliamentarians and can make or break a party’s electoral fortunes.

The closed-door talks, now reportedly on hold, have angered the Opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). Its spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said a caretaker government that included only “pro-Musharraf forces” would be a “façade.” “If such rigging schemes are to be employed, there is no need for staging drama of an election.”

He said a neutral caretaker government set-up in consultation with all parties was the only solution for stability in the country. A caretaker government without the participation of all parties would be “strongly resisted.”

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