No 'deal' with Musharraf regime, says PPP

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 4. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led by the former Prime Minister, Ms. Benazir Bhutto, today came out strongly against reports in a section of the press about a deal with the Musharraf Government and accused the military regime of planting such reports to confuse the public.

For the last two weeks a section of the Pakistani press has been speculating about an impending deal between the PPP and the Musharraf Government. An unscheduled meeting between a functionary of the party, Makhdoom Amin Faheem, with Gen. Musharraf triggered the speculation. The reports continue to appear despite categorical denial by Mr. Fahim.

Today the PPP issued a strong denial on the reports suggesting that Ms. Bhutto had agreed to step down from the party leadership and bow out of the race for prime ministership in favour of another PPP leader approved by the military leadership.

The party also took serious exception to the decision of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to display the so- called artefacts recovered from the alleged properties of Ms. Bhutto and her husband from London and urged the military leadership to try the NAB authorities for possession of `stolen property'.

``It is categorically stated that the ruling junta has not sent any such message to Ms. Bhutto. The Vice-Chairperson, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, has also denied that he had been offered the premiership or asked to convey the military's desire that chairperson step down from her post,'' the party said in a press statement.

The party said since inspired reports continued to be leaked to the press despite denials it expected the regime to contradict the reports or reveal details of the so-called deal with Ms. Bhutto. ``It appears that since the successful election of chairperson as the first woman premier in the Muslim world, some quarters were unable to overcome their opposition to the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and to a woman. Since then, many attempts were made to force a change of political leadership in the country. The devices used include the Eighth Amendment, judicial abuse, intimidation, threat and imprisonment. These efforts failed due to the unity of the party and the faith in the leadership of Ms. Bhutto.''

The party said it was concerned that as the country enters into the final time frame of the military transition to democracy through the holding of elections, certain elements were involved in a game of bluff to derail the process of smooth transfer. ``It is apparent that if fair elections are held the PPP led by Ms. Bhutto will win the elections and she will be elected Prime Minister for the third time. If, however, the elections are rigged, a new Pandora's box will open'', the party said.

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Section  : International
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