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Musharraf sending feelers for national government?

ISLAMABAD: A meeting between Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif, and a former brigadier who is close to the Sharifs and President Pervez Musharraf, has set the political rumour mill grinding about the possible formation of a national government before the February 18 general election.

The rumours have elicited strong denials from the PML(N) camp that its leaders are contemplating co-operating with the Musharraf regime for the formation of a national government.

The party said it would not be part of any government under Gen. (Retd) Musharraf.

In recent days, media reports quoting anonymous government sources have talked of Gen. Musharraf’s willingness to form a national government in order to deflect criticism about the credibility of the election under a caretaker government that is not perceived either at home or abroad as neutral.

Brigadier (Retd) Niaz Ahmad is over 80 years old, and has reportedly played go-between for the two sides while they were in exile in London and Saudi Arabia. He is also said to have played mediator between Gen. Musharraf and the PPP.

Mr. Sharif met the former army officer at his home in the capital on Saturday, spurring speculation that the beleaguered Gen. Musharraf was sending out feelers to him to co-operate in the formation of a national government. This was reported to be the second meeting between the two this week.

Mr. Sharif is also reported to have met the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Ali Awadh al Asseri, and a former director-general of the Federal Investigation Agency on Saturday.

Dawn reported that Gen. Musharraf had suggested that Mr. Sharif become part of the proposed national government, holding out the carrot of a role for him in the government after the general elections too. The brigadier is also reported to have told the Sharif brothers to tone down their rhetoric against the President. But Mr. Sharif vigorously denied to reporters waiting outside the home of Brigadier Niaz that his visit had any political purpose and described it as a “courtesy call”. Other party leaders also issued strenuous denials.

Nisar Ali Khan, a senior leader of the PML(N), said at a press conference on Saturday, even before the Sharif-Niaz meeting, that there was absolutely no contact between the PML(N) and the Musharraf regime and that the brigadier was a family friend of the Sharifs, and nothing more than that should be read into the meeting.

Mr. Khan alleged the government was floating the talk of a national government only to delay the election by six months or a year.

The PML(N)’s demand was for Gen. Musharraf’s resignation as free and fair elections were an impossibility under him, and for the formation of a government of national unity that would conduct the elections impartially, he said.

Meanwhile, an anti-corruption court has adjourned until February 21 — three days after the scheduled general election — the hearing of cases against the Sharifs, at the request of the National Accountability Bureau.

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