Pak weighing options for Musharraf's re-election

Islamabad, June 22: Top Pakistani power brokers are considering two options for future political course of action with most of them favouring President Pervez Musharraf's re-election from the current assemblies, a local media report said today.

The Nation newspaper quoted high-level sources among the ruling Pakistan Muslim League leadership as saying that the other option being considered was the dissolution of assemblies and presidential re-election by the new legislature.

The government is holding talks with Pakistan Peoples Party and pro-Taliban Jamiatul Ulema Islam of Maulana Fazalur Rehman to prepare a feasibility report for early general elections, the sources said, however, adding that a final decision on it would be made in a later stage.

In this regard, an important meeting took place, this Tuesday in Dubai, between Tariq Aziz, a close associate of President Musharraf, and Rehman Malik, who is a close aide of PPP-P Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

Tariq Aziz, who is in Bangkok, met Malik in Dubai on his way to Bangkok and discussed the matters regarding a possible deal on the issues regarding holding of early general elections and the president's re-election from fresh assemblies, the sources said.

However, the sources further said, President Musharraf himself wants his re-election from the current assemblies and has started consultations with the PML leaders and his associates in this regard.

There are only a few friends who have advised him for re-election from the fresh assemblies, they said, adding that the plea taken by these friends of the President was their assurance to him that the ruling coalition would win the upcoming elections with majority and his re-election by the fresh assemblies would not be a problem.

However, the sources privy to a meeting between President Musharraf and PML bigwigs on Wednesday, said that PML chief Ch Shujat had advised the President to get re-elected from the current assemblies because according to the Constitution, the president's re-election had to be held between 15 September to 15 October, 2007.

PML Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Leader of the House in Senate Wasim Sajjad also attended this meeting.

Also, a lot of importance is being given to a meeting between the President and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday, wherein similar issues were discussed. However, the government is yet to reach a doable course of action.

UNI

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