By IANS
Islamabad : Two men on opposite sides of the political fence served as the “spoilers” of a cozy deal that was emerging between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benzair Bhutto that would have enabled her to return home from exile and share power with the general, it was reported here Sunday.
Pakistan Muslim League President Shujaat Hussain served as “spoiler” in the presidential camp by opposing any deal with Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), The News said.
Aitzaz Ahsan, an advocate who fought a successful legal battle and ultimately got Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry restored to the post from which Musharraf had sacked him, served as “spoiler” in the Bhutto camp.
Both men bear the honorific of “Chaudhry” and belong to the Gujrat region of Pakistani Punjab.
“The day Aitzaz landed in London and met (former prime minister) Nawaz Sharif it was becoming clearer that he would impress upon Benazir Bhutto that her lust for grabbing power in haste would not augur well for the Bhutto family, its democratic cult and the party of diehard anti-establishment workers,” the newspaper said.
“Aitzaz, who also based his arguments on logic, wisdom and virtue, outwitted Bhutto. Perhaps Aitzaz saved the Bhuttos politically and rendered a “big service” to (the) PPP,” it added.
“But the question is whether Aitzaz is also serving a self-cause? Is he taking a longer route to first destroy President General Pervez Musharraf through courtroom battles and then win his nomination as presidential candidate? He has dented President Musharraf’s image profusely. And, now he is sure that the president would lose his candidacy battle through legal instruments. It would be left open for him to contest the presidential elections for which he has been winning the support of the Sharifs (and) Benazir Bhutto and the legal fraternity,” the newspaper said.
On the other hand, Shujaat played his cards well and carefully. He impressed upon Musharraf against accepting Bhutto’s demands. He used his life-time experience with utmost care to remain loyal to the president, keep the interests of their home-made PML-Q and protect the future interests of the family.
The “deal-destruction” was the natural culmination of these talks, the newspaper suggested.