Gilani's refusal to meet British envoy casts doubt over his real agenda of visiting Pak

Lahore, Aug. 14 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's refusal to meet British diplomat Mark Lyall Grant has cast doubts over his real purpose in visiting Islamabad.

While Grant has stated that his visit to Pakistan is aimed at promoting Prime Minister Gordon Brown's commitment to a strategic dialogue between both countries, observers believe there is more than meets the eye in Gilani refusing to meet the envoy.

They say it would have been really difficult for Gilani to say he could not meet Grant.

Grant, who is currently the Director of Political Affairs at the British Foreign Office, has met Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, but sources said the meeting did not result in any 'fruitful' outcome over the issue of a possible trial of Musharraf.

Sources said that the PML-N chief told Grant that since the Supreme Court had put the ball in parliament's court, the party wanted the government to take further action on the issue.

Sharif told Grant that the PML-N does want to create more trouble in the country and derail the nation's democratic set-up, The Dawn reports.

"What we want is that the PPP should honour its commitment on the 17th Amendment and resolve the issue in the light of the Charter of Democracy," sources quoted Sharif, as saying.

It may be noted that Grant, who had served as the High Commissioner in Islamabad, had also helped Musharraf escape impeachment by parliament after he was forced to step down.(ANI)