Benazir to benefit from Govt's amnesty package

ISLAMABAD—A high level meeting was held here under the prime minister Shaukat Aziz which reviewed at length the political situation of the country, deal with Benazir Bhutto, situation arising out of resignations from APDM and other political matters. Certain important decisions were taken in the meeting on these issues.
Ruling PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and a large number of cabinet members attended the meeting. Minister for railways Sheikh Rashid told media persons that matters related to deal with Benazir Bhutto figured in the meeting adding government had agreed on withdrawing cases against Benazir Bhutto.
The demand from Benazir Bhutto on appointment of new army chief had also been accepted and Benazir Bhutto is sticking to one point of lifting of bar on third term premiership and the ruling party has its own reservations in this respect. Talks are underway with PPP leadership and this is final round, he told.
Sources told the matter related to APDM resignations was also discussed during the meeting. Prime Minister said the resignations cannot block re-election of president Musharraf. Ruling PML-Q and its allied parties are fully capable to ensure success for President Musharraf in re-election. We have required number of votes and president re-election is inevitable for national integrity”, he stressed. President has decided to quit office of army chief voluntarily which is a welcome move, he held.
Pakistan agreed to grant ex-premier Benazir Bhutto an amnesty on corruption charges, officials said Tuesday, as President Pervez Musharraf named a new army chief just days before he seeks re-election. The day of dramatic developments came as military strongman Musharraf, a key US ally who seized power in 1999, faced growing opposition to his plan to win another five-year term in Saturday’s presidential vote.
The move to grant an amnesty from prosecution to former premier Bhutto, who has vowed to return to Pakistan on October 18, satisfied one of her key demands for a power-sharing deal with the embattled Musharraf. “The government has agreed to grant an indemnity on cases against Benazir Bhutto,” Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, a close confidant of Musharraf, told reporters. “The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.” Bhutto, who served as premier between 1988 and 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996, has lived in self-imposed exile in London and Dubai since 1999 because of the charges pending against her. Senior government officials said the move would be formalised in a presidential order issued by Musharraf that was expected later on Tuesday.
“The president is issuing an ordinance granting amnesty to politicians against whom cases were constituted between 1985 and 1999 as part of his national reconciliation drive,” a top government official told AFP. The official did not specify who would be covered by the amnesty. Bhutto has held months of power-sharing talks with Musharraf but they stuck on a number of issues including her demand that politicians who served during her time in power should be given an amnesty.
They also disagreed on whether Musharraf should give up his role as army chief and on her stipulation that the government overturn a bar on people serving a third time as prime minister. Earlier in the day, Musharraf showed his commitment to an earlier promise to quit the military if he wins the election by naming the former head of Pakistan’s top spy agency to succeed him as chief of army staff.—Agencies