BB pulls back from showdown with Musharraf

LONDON—Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto said Thursday she was expecting an amnesty from corruption charges, removing a major obstacle to a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf. “We are optimistic today but I cannot say everything is finalised,” she told reporters after a two-day meeting of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership in London to discuss a deal with Musharraf before weekend elections.
“We’re expecting an ordinance today,” she added, referring to a decree from Musharraf which would include an amnesty for corruption charges which drove her into self-imposed exile. The self-exiled Bhutto made no other comments as she arrived for a meeting of her opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in London but her spokesman, Wajid Hasan, confirmed that she was referring to an amnesty.
“It’s definitely an amnesty,” he told AFP, adding that Musharraf’s office was expected to send a draft of the reconciliation ordinance by email. “They will send it to us today”. The comments were a turnaround from Wednesday when she warned that PPP lawmakers could resign from parliament en masse in a bid to discredit Musharraf’s expected re-election in polls on Saturday. Musharraf, who seized control of the nuclear-armed Islamic republic in a 1999 coup and is now a key US ally, is set to win as his allies dominate the national and provincial assemblies that will conduct the vote. He has said he will step down as army chief if he is re-elected — a key Bhutto demand — but has conceded that mass resignations might affect his credibility.
The dropping of corruption charges against Bhutto, a two-time prime minister, were central to her demands in the talks over for a power-sharing deal which Musharraf is hoping to clinch to shore up his dwindling support. The general’s rule has been rocked in recent months by protests over his sacking of a supreme court judge and a bloody crackdown on extremists at a mosque in Islamabad. An alliance with Bhutto, one of Pakistan’s most popular politicians despite having spent eight years in exile, would be a major boost to his political fortunes. In addition to the curruption charges, sticking points in the power-sharing talks include Bhutto’s demands that Musharraf give up his power to sack the prime minister and remove a limit on prime ministers serving more than two terms. “Hectic negotiations” between the PPP leadership and the Musharraf government since Wednesday led to progress on these points, Bhutto said. “We’re expecting an understanding on these issues,” she added. “We think agreements can be made but so far things are not final,” she added at the chaotic press conference at the residence of her chief negotiator in central London. Aides said however that little if any progress was made toward scrapping a constitutional provision allowing the president the power to dissolve the parliament.—Agencies
 

Govt, BB concur on Reconciliation Order Staff Report ISLAMABAD—The Government and Peoples Party agreed upon the National Reconciliation Ordinance. It has been learnt that it was decided in a special meeting which was chaired by the President in the Prime Minister’s House and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Ch. Shujaat Hussain, President Muslim League (Q), Mushahid Hussain Syed, Secretary General, Chairman Senate Mohammedmian Soomro and Speaker National Assembly Ch Amir Hussain attended the meeting. Earlier, amendments in various clauses of Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and Peoples’ representation Act were proposed with a view to create reconciliation with the political parties by withdrawing cases against the political leaders, the reliable sources said. Under the amendments in the constitution the government would grant a “general amnesty” to all those who had held public offices between 1985 and 1999 and against whom corruption cases were pending. Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) is likely to be promulgated by the president tonight or tomorrow (Friday), the sources said. Earlier, breakthrough was reported in the talks for national consensus between government and Pakistan Peoples Party. The National Reconciliation Ordinance being given final touches under which former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and all other important political leaders will be granted amnesty and all political cases registered against them will be withdrawn, the sources said. The ordinance will quash all corruption cases registered against politicians and other important persons between 1988 and 1999 period, sources said.

Understanding with Govt in sight: Benazir LONDON—Chairperson, Pakistan Peoples Party, Benazir Bhutto said on Thursday that her party has reached understanding with the Government on the power sharing deal but was awaiting the written documentary proof to confirm this. Speaking at a crowded press conference at the residence of party leader Rehman Malik this afternoon after the conclusion of the ARD meeting, she said the party has moved forward to an understanding following hectic negotiations with the Presidential team last night. She said the party chairman Makhdum Amin Fahim and Rehman Malik were involved in the discussion that hammered the differences and the objections raised by the PPP. However, Ms. Bhutto stated in clear terms that the party would not be voting for General Pervez Musharraf in the Saturday’s Presidential elections because it was opposed to his contest while still in the uniform. “We’ll abstain ourselves from this elections,” she added. She said the indemnity being offered by the Government covers the period from 1988 to 1999 and applies to all the politicians. Regarding the legitimacy of the Saturday’s elections,she said the petition was before the Supreme Court and it was upto to it to decide. She said General Musharraf had assured the Supreme Court that he would take off his Army Chief uniform following the saturday’s election and PPP believes he would adhere to it. The PPP Chairperson agreed that till Wednesday she was apprehensive about reaching a deal with the Government but hectic negotiations during the night has now allowed her to say that the agreement was closer and has moved forward. Regarding her objection to 58.2 B and the powers of the President to dissolve the Parliament,she said the PPP has still objections to it and this issue will be taken up in the second stage when the parliamentary elections are held. She maintained that PPP retains the option to resign from the assemblies in case the written agreement does not replicate the verbal understanding reached with the Government negotiators.—Online