Date:17/04/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/04/17/stories/2003041705171200.htm

International

Parleys to end deadlock over Musharraf laws

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD APRIL 16. The Jamali Government was engaged in hectic parleys with the Opposition leaders to end the deadlock over the validity of Musharraf laws.

The National Assembly, which was convened on Tuesday, had to be adjourned till Friday amid uproarious scenes with the Opposition demanding withdrawal of Musharraf laws and resignation of Gen. Musharraf as Army Chief.

There is little chance of rapprochement between the Government and the Opposition and political observers apprehend a Constitutional crisis. The character of the crisis could be gauged from the simple fact that though the general elections were held in October last year, the National Assembly has not had a single sitting to transact business.

The Opposition parties are insisting that Gen. Musharraf should withdraw the Legal Framework Order (LFO), which incorporates all the controversial amendments made by him to the Constitution and step down as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

He has indicated that his continuation in the posts of President and Army Chief was in the `national interest' and he was in no mood to compromise.

The Jamali Government appears helpless. The Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, has accused the Opposition of creating political instability. ``I fail to understand the difficulty of the religious parties in accepting Gen. Musharraf in two posts. After all they had no problem in co-existing with Zia-ul-Haq. They are converting the Assembly into a public ground and it is not helpful'', the Minister said.

The Pakistan President has summoned the Assembly at a juncture when every one was expecting him to address a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate. Gen. Musharraf has separately summoned the session of Senate beginning on Friday. Indications are that senior functionaries of the Jamali Government are engaged in hectic negotiations with Opposition groups for a compromise on the Musharraf laws and continuation of Gen. Musharraf in two posts.

However, none of the Opposition parties have indicated its willingness to accept either the validity of the Legal Framework Order (LFO) or the spectacle of a President in Army uniform. The divide between the Government and Opposition was evident when the last session of Assembly had to be adjourned without transacting any business.