By IANS
Islamabad : The prospect of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto returning to share power with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has unnerved some ministers of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid (PML-Q), who say they might not contest the upcoming general elections if the deal comes through.
“Leaders of the ruling coalition on Wednesday expressed reservations over the government-PPP (Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party) talks but decided to support the proposal to hold presidential polls ahead of parliamentary elections,” Dawn reported Thursday.
It quoted sources to say that in a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House, some ministers were sceptical of an accord with the PPP, citing deep political differences.
According to the sources, some ministers said they might not apply for the PML-Q ticket if a deal was struck with Bhutto.
However, Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani contended that differences of opinion were a sign of openness in the coalition and said all ministers had the right to express their opinion.
He claimed that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had been able to calm the ministers after they had explained the political compulsions due to which talks were being held with Bhutto.
Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was reported to have been upset by the possibility of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, returning home, saying: “Listen fellows, if Nawaz returns, all of us will have to go.”
Defending his criticism of the talks with Bhutto, he is reported to have said: “My statements about the talks in fact go against the interests of the PPP and not of the PML.”
The Muttahidi Quami Movement (MQM) was unhappy too. Its leaders are reported to have said that the party was seriously concerned about “compromises being made on serious constitutional matters”.
Federal ministers Ghaus Bakhsh Maher, Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, Wasi Zafar, Ejazul Haq, Liaquat Jatoi, Faisal Saleh Hayat and minister of state Raza Hayat Hirraj also opposed the government-Bhutto talks.
Hayat, the interior minister, broke ranks with the PPP after the 2002 general elections to form the Pakistan People’s Party-Patriots that joined the ruling coalition.
According to him, the talks with Bhutto were aimed at strengthening the PPP and weakening the PML-Q.
Jatoi, the water and power minister, spoke about his family’s formidable political strength in Sindh and said it would be a disaster if “we are forced to make compromises with our old political rivals”.
A former chief minister of Sindh, Jatoi had deserted the PPP for its breakaway faction after the 2002 polls.
He said so far he had not applied for the PML-Q ticket and would not do so “if the stage is prepared for the return of the PPP in Sindh”.