NEW JERSEY, AUG 16 -
The United States is prodding Gen Musharraf to share power
(with or without uniform) with Benazir Bhutto.
As lynchpin of West's so called "war on terror", President
Musharraf's role seems indispensable, and in
order to maintain continuity of efforts, he must remain
in power with or without uniform, US and Pakistani
officials observed, said a New York Times article today.
But, says the influential broadsheet, US
officials have taken pains not to endorse the deal publicly,
so as not to seem as if the United States is trying to
influence Pakistani politics.
Citing these officials, the news analysis
said that the Bush administration sees Gen Musharraf
in a deepening political crisis, and wants to find a way
to keep him in power. It is therefore "quietly prodding him
to share authority with Benazir Bhutto as a way of
broadening his base".
"President Musharraf, says the report, has lost so much domestic support in
recent months that American officials have gotten behind the
idea that an alliance with Benazir Bhutto, a former prime
minister, would be his best chance of remaining president".
Ms. Bhutto, who is in USA these days, has been holding talks
in recent weeks with senior Bush administration officials,
including Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States ambassador to
the United Nations, with whom she met privately late last
week, NYT disclosed.
Supporting a power-sharing agreement between the General and
Benazir as a means of shoring up the former's declining power
base while adding a semblance of democratization to the
Pakistani political environment, American
officials, said the article, are worried that any diminution of General
Musharraf’s power could only complicate American
counterterrorism efforts at a time when Al Qaeda is said
to be rebuilding in the tribal areas.
But they also noted according to the paper, that the proposed power-sharing
between Musharraf and Benazir could come with
problems as well as benefits, adding
that the former prime minister's return could also fuel Pakistani nationalism
and kindle new calls for Pakistan to distance itself from
Washington.
Many have heard the rumors and voiced their doubts about the
workability and political wisdom of such a deal.
An ongoing random onsite poll by DesPardes.com reveal that
57 percent believe the deal between Benazir and Musharraf will go
regardless of whether General remained in uniform or not, with only 21 percent saying
it would go through but without uniform. Only 23 percent say the
deal won't go through at all.
Talking to DesPardes.com, a Pakistani expatriate and former
editor/publisher of "Dhanak", Mr Sarwar Sukhera said,
"The two will stick to their primary interests and Musharraf
will get frustrated enough to declare emergency or will be
replaced by another general".
Mr Sukhera's monthly magazine was banned by Gen Zia ul Haq in the 80's because of of its overly
"enlightened moderation".
Teresita C. Schaffer, a Pakistan expert at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told NYT
she was also skeptical that any alliance between the political
heavyweights was manageable over the long term. In Pakistan,
the general view is that General Musharraf needs the deal to
stay in power, that Ms. Bhutto needs it to quash corruption
cases against her in the international courts and that there
is nothing in it for the people, said Talat Masood, a
retired general and political analyst, according to the NYT
article.
Tacitly approving a president in uniform,
American officials told the broadsheet they are of the view
that even if General Musharraf were to insist on remaining
as the country’s military leader, the deal they felt could bring a
more democratic spirit to Pakistan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is said to have also
discussed such an (Mush-BB) arrangement when she called President
Musharraf last week at 2 a.m. to warn him not to declare
emergency powers.
While observing that one of the biggest obstacles to any
deal is Ms. Bhutto's demand that General Musharraf
doff his uniform, the article said that there have been
otherwise suggestions in recent days that she may be willing
to concede that point. Benazir's party now appears poised to
win the largest share of the vote", the article cited US
officials as saying.
Teresita C. Schaffer, a Pakistan expert at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that
American officials saw a deal between General Musharraf and
Ms. Bhutto “as a potential lifeline and one that would get
him less deeply involved with the religious parties.”
Benazir in the meanwhile says "time is running out" and has
given three weeks window to President Musharraf to
demonstrate "confidence building measures" if he wanted her
Pakistan People’s Party to support his regime.
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