Negroponte coming to Pakistan with no message for Musharraf

Islamabad, May 26 : The United States Embassy has denied media reports suggesting that United States Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will be in Pakistan next week with a message for President Pervez Musharraf to quit.

"This is a complete fabrication published in the media without any confirmation whatsoever, as the Deputy Secretary of State is not leading any Senate delegation, nor is there any such message being brought by any US delegation," the Daily Times quoted Embassy spokeswoman Elizabeth Colton, as saying.

"Some in the Pakistani news media have published/broadcast a completely fabricated story, saying US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is coming to Pakistan with a message for Musharraf," Colton added.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, along with a delegation of Democratic Senators, is expected to come to Pakistan within the next three days to meet both Musharraf and Zardari in this regard.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, along with a delegation of Democratic Senators, is expected to come to Pakistan within the next three days to meet both Musharraf and Pakistan People's Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari in this regard.

According to sources, Negroponte would probably give a timeframe to Musharraf to quit his office. PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim is likely to become the next President of Pakistan. The PPP would give Musharraf time till June 10 to resign, the sources added.

The PPP leadership is in constant contact with the forward bloc of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q and independent candidates including Manzoor Watto and Hamid Nasir Chattha. It is expected that most of the Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid-e-Azam parliamentarians would support the PPP in impeaching Musharraf.

ANI