President to rally allies for PPP deal

ISLAMABAD—President Musharraf will take into confidence ruling PML-Q leadership, federal ministers, chief ministers and parliamentarians of allied parties of government on the deal with PPP in a high level meeting taking place in Prime Minister house on Thursday.
All the four chief ministers, federal ministers, state ministers, PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, heads of the allied parties, parliamentary leaders and members of parliament will participate in the meeting.
Well placed sources told Online Tuesday that eminent politicians and leadership of allied parties including former president Farooq Ahmad Leghari, chief minister Sindh, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Aftab Sherpao, Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Ejaz ul Haq, Muhammad Ali Durrani, Sardar Yar M Rind, Liaqat Jatoi who had joined PML-Q were staunchly opposed to the deal with PPP. They had told Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Aiwan-e-Sadr that they would in no way tolerate the deal, as it would be tantamount to digging grave for PML-Q.
They made it clear if establishment tried to bring PPP to power by force, PML-Q would put up stiff resistance. President Musharraf had invited to meeting the entire PML leadership, heads of allied parties and members of parliament in PM house in the face of growing concern with respect to deal with PPP and he would apprise them of the facts as to why the deal was being made with PPP.
Prime Minister would host a dinner and president Musharraf would deliver special address on the occasion. Some crucial decisions on the spectrum of issues including interim set up, prospective decision from SC on eligibility of president, deal with PPP and future set up will be taken in the meeting. Majority of PML-Q leaderships was opposed to deal with PPP.
President PML-Q, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain met with the Tariq Aziz, Secretary National Security Council and discussed with him the prevailing political situation in Pakistan. Sources said that during the meeting they also reviewed and discussed the issue of upcoming general polls, establishment of the caretaker government and election code of conduct. The issues of reconciliation with the PPP also came under discussion, sources added.
Sources further revealed during the meeting, both the leaders also discussed the future role of PML-Q. Similarly, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain also informed Tariq Aziz about the reservations of the PML-Q, if case of deal with PPP.
Pakistan Propels Party (PPP) has expressed conditional willingness to join caretaker government. “ We are ready to join caretaker government aimed at holding free, fair and transparent elections in the country,” Former premier and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto said while talking to newsmen at Bilawal House on Tuesday.
She said the extremists were trying to derail upcoming general elections after she received a death threat supposedly from a “friend of Al-Qaeda.”
Bhutto also said she would continue to campaign for the key polls but would not hold large rallies in the wake of last week’s deadly suicide blasts that tore through her homecoming parade and killed 139 people.—Online