Party Chief to Ask for Maintaining Premiership Law Till Election - Pakistan Pape

Aug 30, 06:30 AM

Current Headlines: Text of report by Naveed Siddiqui headlined: "Shujaat may ask Musharraf not to abolish Article 58 (2b)" published by Pakistani newspaper Daily Times website on 30 August

Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain may suggest to the president not to abolish Article 58 (2b) and restriction on the third-time prime minister before his re- election at a meeting with him today (Thursday [30 August]) to discuss the overall deal package with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Daily Times learnt on Wednesday [29 August].

This was decided at a party meeting at Shujaat's residence on Wednesday evening, sources said, adding that Shujaat may suggest Musharraf hold the presidential election as soon as possible in September keeping in view the situation when the ruling party MPs and ministers are "ditching" the PML [Pakistan Muslim League] in protest over the uniform issue.

Senior PML leaders expressed their reservations over the deal between the president and Ms Bhutto. "Everybody spoke against the president. They were annoyed with the president's covert contacts with Ms Bhutto," the sources said.

They said that the top emissaries of the president, who have returned from London after deal talks with Ms Bhutto, would brief Musharraf today and give final shape to the "deal". They said the emissaries had requested the PPP chairwoman to hold her party meeting after 31 August to finalize the issues settled with the government.

The sources said that accepting Ms Bhutto's demands before Musharraf's re-election would leave the latter in a lurch and the PPP would exploit the situation.

The meeting also decided to arrest former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif if they returned to Pakistan, the sources said.

Originally published by Daily Times website, Lahore, in English 30 Aug 07.

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