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Musharraf rules out national government

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said on Monday that rumours of a national government before elections were incorrect and that the February 18 elections would be held as scheduled and under the present caretaker government.

Gen. (Retd) Musharraf said this while chairing a meeting of the caretaker provincial government of Sindh in Karachi.

According to the official news agency, the Associated Press of Pakistan, Gen. Musharraf ruled out the formation of a national government or any change in the date of the elections.

Speculation has been rife that Gen. Musharraf had sent feelers to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leadership, which is bitterly opposed to him, for the formation of a national government before the elections.

Media reports said if a national government was formed, elections may be deferred for a period time on the grounds of the situation in the country.

The speculation got stronger after Shahbaz Sharif, brother of PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif, met Brigadier (Retd) Niaz Ahmad, a friend of the Sharifs and Gen. Musharraf, who has played go-between for both sides before.

Mr. Shahbaz Sharif and party spokesmen denied that there was any political purpose to his meeting with the retired army officer, who is in his 80s.

The denial was reiterated by Mr. Nawaz Sharif on Monday. Addressing a rally near Islamabad, he said the PML(N) wanted a national government so that free and fair elections could be held, but Gen. Musharraf would have to first step down as President.

Speaking in Karachi, Gen. Musharraf called for the nation to unite in the fight against terrorism.

He said it was impossible for “one man or even an army” to deal with terrorism unless the entire country threw its weight behind these efforts.

“The people must decide that they have to get rid of terrorism and extremism,” he said.

Gen. Musharraf said elections will be held on February 18, and they would be “free, fair and peaceful”. He said he had issued instructions to the army and paramilitary Rangers to “shoot” anyone disturbing the peace during the election.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party denied rumours that its leader and Benazir Bhutto’s husband Asif Ali Zardari was travelling to Karachi from Naudero to meet General Musharraf as “disinformation and baseless speculation.”

Spokesperson Sherry Rehman said Mr. Zardari had to be in Karachi to meet the British High Commissioner and members of the Scotland Yard team in Pakistan who are assisting in the investigation into Benazir’s killing as the British team was prevented by security considerations from visiting Naudero.

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