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MAR 31, 8:15 PM EST - A bipartisan
delegation consisting of four American Congressmen met with
Nawaz Sharif, the exiled former prime minister
in London today, and discussed the possibility of his
immediate return to Pakistan. The lawmakers are on
their way to Islamabad for a three-day visit. They plan to
meet with President Gen Musharraf, high ranking officials
and civic bodies.
The News quoted a
top source commenting after the meeting that the Americans
seemed to have finally realized that they should not put all
their eggs in one basket.
The lawmakers also hinted, according to the newspaper, at changes in the approach of the
American political parties and the establishment towards
President General Pervez Musharraf and the exiled Pakistani
leaders Sharif and Bhutto. They said, "(US) Congress is
considering proposals to link Pakistan's economic assistance
with progress on fighting terrorism and restoration of
democracy, " Online reported today.
Meanwhile, the government has initiated a fresh round
of “negotiations” with Pakistan People’s Party Chairwoman
Benazir Bhutto to reach an understanding with her ahead of
the general elections, Daily Times reported today.
Sources told the newspaper that covert talks were on to
build bridges between President General Pervez Musharraf and
Benazir Bhutto for the future political dispensation on
quid-pro-quo basis.
The sources said the government might offer an olive branch
to Bhutto in return for her support to General Musharraf’s
re-election as president for another term.
The government might offer Bhutto the withdrawal of a case
or cases pending against her in a foreign country, according
to DT. Asked to
comment on the withdrawal of any cases against Bhutto, NAB
Deputy Chairman Hasan Wasim Afzal said, “No comments at the
moment”.
Benazir has recently admitted to indirect contacts between
her and General Musharraf. She has also refused to rule out
the possibility of a rapprochement. In fact, she has gone a
step forward by stating that Nawaz Sharif, too, is in
contact with the regime in Pakistan, the newspaper reported.
Although officially unconfirmed, the reports of negotiations
between Bhutto and General Musharraf get credence with the
latter recently telling federal ministers and
parliamentarians at a dinner hosted by the prime minister
that they should stand united to fight those creating
unrest, leaving it to him to deal with the PPP.
However, a federal minister, requesting anonymity to the
paper, said it was not possible for the government to
withdraw any cases against Bhutto in a foreign country.
“What the government can do is not provide the required
evidence and documents to the prosecutors,” he said. Asked
to confirm the contacts between General Musharraf and
Bhutto, he said, “Yes, there are back-channel contacts.”
The news of Musharraf-Bhutto back channel talks come as
Islamist and jihadist forces take advantage of the ongoing
legal crisis sparked by the removal of the chief justice,
which has weakened President Pervez Musharraf’s government.
The Texas-based news intelligence service Stratfor writes that as a
result, the influence of religious extremists and radical
Islamists is gradually spreading beyond the Pashtun areas
along the Pak-Afghan border. The government’s cautious
approach to these developments could further weaken it as
well as embolden those who promote religious conservatism.
Recent events in Pakistan involving radical and militant
Islamists show that these religious elements are trying to
exploit Pakistan’s political instability to their advantage.
Stratfor observes that the boldest attempt by Islamist
extremists is the one by female students of the Islamabad
based madrassa - Jamia Hafsa . Their action demonstrates
that Islamists can challenge the government’s writ even in
the capital. Making the event even more significant was the
defensive posture of the Islamabad administration to the
crisis.
Strafor believes that Musharraf's government is worried that
a crackdown against Islamist vigilantes under the current
domestic political conditions could exacerbate unrest.
Islamabad has also declined to use force against the
vigilantes to avoid giving the impression that it is siding
with those allegedly engaged in vice. While this may have
prevented an ugly confrontation in the short term, the
government’s defensive attitude will only contribute to the
growing crisis of governance in the long run, the analysis
predicts, arguing that religious extremists all over the
country could be emboldened by Islamabad’s timid response.
This could add to the unrest in the country. The spread of
Talibanisation from Pakistan’s border regions into its
heartland could force Musharraf into sharing power with his
secular opponents to salvage his own political position and
roll back religious extremism.
Significantly, Musharraf-Benazir back channel parleys have
increased lately. Nawaz-ISI back channel discussions have
also been going on for some time now.
But the most recent Bhutto-Musharraf "mutual survival" talks
are serious enough in the light of Washington's keen
interest on a holistic approach this time to Pakistan
affairs.
Her early return will not only bolster Musharraf's position
but will create a much needed synergy for the secular forces
to effectively tackle the conservatives, said one analyst.
"She may return to Pakistan sooner than we can imagine,"
says Niaz, another keen observer of Pakistan affairs.
(Filed by Irshad Salim)
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