By DPA
Islamabad/Dubai : Top aides of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and exiled opposition leader Benazir Bhutto met in Dubai Tuesday to revive stalled talks on a power-sharing deal that could secure political survival for the embattled military ruler.
“The holding of free and fair elections and the balance of power between the president and parliament were discussed in the meeting,” the information secretary of Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Sheri Rehman, told DPA.
Pakistani Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani confirmed that the dialogue had resumed despite the apparent breakdown in London last week when the presidential camp refused to accept all of Bhutto’s demands.
These include changes to the constitution that would limit presidential powers to dissolve parliament, and the removal of legal obstacles to her serving a third term as prime minister.
“The deadlock between the government and the Pakistan People’s Party has ended and the sides will continue their dialogue in the future,” Durrani told journalists in Islamabad.
“This development is positive and we are heading towards the national consensus that is required in these troubled times,” Railway Minister and Musharraf confidant Sheikh Rashid added.
The sides have for months been negotiating a deal under which corruption charges against Bhutto would be withdrawn in exchange for her support for Musharraf in presidential elections that are expected to take place on Oct 15.
While the president could garner enough support in the current parliament to win a further five-year mandate, support from Bhutto’s liberal party would shore up his rapidly weakening power base.
There was movement on some issues at Tuesday’s talks in the United Arab Emirates while others remained unresolved, officials said.
“There was no progress on the issue of balance of power between the president and parliament, but some consensus emerged on the structure required for holding free and fair elections,” PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said, without elaborating further. He also said the talks would continue.
Bhutto met in Dubai with Musharraf’s close aide Tariq Aziz. Local media reported Tuesday that the president would leave for Dubai within 48 hours to meet the exiled politician in person.
The two leaders held a secret meeting in Abu Dhabi in July but were unable to settle their differences.