Breaking: Desperate Musharraf In Power Sharing Talks
London Times:
President Musharraf of Pakistan proposed an unprecedented power-sharing deal with his most bitter rival yesterday in an attempt to save his political career.
General Musharraf held secret talks with Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi to discuss an agreement that could allow her to return to Pakistan after years in exile.
Under the agreement the military leader would be granted another five-year term as president, while Ms Bhutto, twice prime minister of Pakistan, would be allowed to return in September to contest parliamentary elections, exonerated of corruption charges made against her.
However, last night the talks appeared to have stalled over General Musharraf’s insistence that he should be allowed to retain his dual role as army chief and president.
The President had hoped to announce a new interim political arrangement next week to supervise parliamentary elections. Hamid Nasir Chatta, a former speaker of the National Assembly, is expected to replace Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister.
Yesterday’s meeting took place as General Musharraf faced the most serious challenge to his authority since he seized power in a coup in 1999. His standing suffered a further blow this week when the Supreme Court annulled his decision to suspend the country’s top judge.
There have also been reports of growing dissent within the military, which has suffered casualties in intense fighting with Islamist militants in Pakistan’s northern tribal region. Dozens of army personnel have reportedly been court martialled for defying orders. More than 300 people, most of them army and paramilitary soldiers, have been killed this month in suicide bomb attacks.
Yesterday’s meeting was the second this year between General Musharraf and Mrs Bhutto. A previous meeting, also in Abu Dhabi, failed to reach any agreement in January. However, the two sides continued secret negotiations through intermediaries.
Many political observers agree that General Musharraf has run out of options as he seeks another term as president. He faces a stark choice of joining forces with the conservative Islamists, who are bitterly opposed to his pro-American policies, or to ally himself with Mrs Bhutto’s pro-west liberal Pakistan People’s Party .
General Musharraf has been under growing pressure from Washington to crack down on the pro al-Qaeda militants who operate close to the border with Afghanistan.
The creeping Talebanisation of Pakistan’s northern border areas presents the most serious threat to the country’s internal stability and to regional security. An intelligence assessment report released in Washington recently said that al-Qaeda had been allowed to regroup in tribal areas.
The violence that has rocked Islamabad and the northern region signalled a new and violent turn in the confrontation between the security forces and militants linked to al-Qaeda.
The charismatic Ms Bhutto, who during her exile has lived in London and Dubai, is still the most powerful political figure in Pakistan. She has faced several charges of corruption but has not been convicted. In the last parliamentary election, held in 2002, her Pakistan People’s Party received the highest number of votes. Under the constitution Ms Bhutto cannot be elected as prime minister a third time, but her supporters said that the provision could be removed after the elections.
Britain and the United States are believed to favour her return to government, hoping that an alliance with General Musharraf would isolate the radical Islamist parties.
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It is a cancer that we are not allowed to excise. Call it what you may, but the truth is as unpopular as the term sounds, get ready for a long war. A delicate balance of keeping them in power, yet denying a a safe haven. With REAL, in that they do have enriched Uraniun and have DETONATED some already, we have idiots who think we have the luxury of playing politics with American Soldiers, much less America itself. Failure is not an option, unless your an idiot or which we have no shortage at the highest levels of our government.
July 28th, 2007 at 1:08 amWhy do I picture an earthquake and the ground splitting beneath his feet whenever I see Musharraf lately?
Geez, totally forgot about Bhutto, thought she was dead, LOL.
July 28th, 2007 at 2:08 amWow, if Mushy can pull off this alliance, the Islamists should run like mad! If they thought Mushy was tough on them, wait till they get a reminder of Ms. Bhutto. At this point the Paki Parliament is pretty much useless, Mushy holds all the real authority, but if he can get Bhutto to come in and make Parliament an effective and allied arm of government, then that will make the Paki goverment, overall, that much more powerful.
I suspect one of the main problems with agreeing to an alliance is that Mushy and Bhutto hate each other. Even though she was not convicted of the corruption charges, they were glaringly obvious, so her political enemies may try to raise those again, too. There are some obstacles here, but if those two could pull it off, this could be beneficial to the US alliance, and definately harmful to the Islamists.
July 28th, 2007 at 5:10 amThose charges were bogus to begin with. The woman is a powerful icon to Westernized Pakis. She got the boot, because Mursharaff and others saw her as a threat to their power.
That’s an interesting idea. But it is not going to change the battle on the ground. It is obvious that Pakistan needs outside help to get control of his country away from the jihadis.
Ms Bhutto might be able to rally the average Syed to her cause and to Musharaff’s cause, but it won’t defeat the jihadis. For that you need force of arms. This would be a good opportunity to use American air power to cover Paki troops while they assault jihadi strongholds in the hinterlands.
Perhaps Ms Bhutto will convince Musharaff to do the right thing and allow the kafirs to once again come to the aid of a Muslim friend. (Like the sarcasm?)
July 28th, 2007 at 5:13 amIts sad and infuriating that all the TRUE
warriors against terrorisim must also fight a second
political war at home against sissys and losers.
Musharraf is now officially “all in” with the WOT.
July 28th, 2007 at 6:46 amWelcome to the party pal.
Watch your back.
I’m sure its meant to divert attention from the up coming battle in the tribal regions .
July 28th, 2007 at 2:02 pmButto made corruption an art form, but she had the backing of the middle classes in Pakistan.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:32 amPolitical leaders dont hate each other, they use each other.
See US congress
Anyway getting butto into coming back as a political pawn is a great deal.
Cant you just see the islamists accepting a woman, a woman!!! in power.They would press the button on the suicide suits at the thought of it.
MUsharrif is a cunning old dog. He wants her back to take the heat from himself, then when the islamists regroup to completely stuff up anything a woman!!! is wanting, he and the army will watch and take out the islamists when they are ready.
Musharrif is on side in the WOT, its now personal, hes just playing his cards to get the best result.
If only Butto would go along with it.
Trouble is, severeal of her family have died trying and I dont think she has this kind of personal ambition.
After all, the UK and Dubai have all the best of things a real woman needs without the bullets and bombs of home.
Who would want to.
Shes waiting until the mush rids the country of extremists then she can come home and ‘SAVE THE COUNTRY’