By KUNA
Islamabad : In a significant development on Saturday a special envoy of President Pervez Musharraf met with the President of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) to reduce tension between the presidential camp and the faction of former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, after the killing of Benazir Bhutto.
Official sources told KUNA that Brigadier (rtd.) Niaz Ahmed held over an hour long meeting with Shehbaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz Sharif, and President of his party.
The meeting covered host of political related issues including situation created in the aftermath of Benazir killing, possible political reconciliation with ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and reduction of tension with the presidential camp.
Sources said talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and both sides were forthcoming in playing positive role for the holding of free, fair and transparent as well peaceful elections in the country, which have already been postponed from Jan 8th to Feb 18th.
President Musharraf came into power in late 1999 after ousting Nawaz government in a bloodless coup. He after brokering a deal with Sharif brothers sent them into exile to Saudi Arab for a decade.
However, taking advantage of the brief judicial independence the Sharif brothers sought Supreme Court help and were allowed to return back home, two years ahead of the agreed exile period. Benazir assassination, largely blamed on Musharraf and the ruling PML-Q party, has plunged Pakistan into political and security crisis. The meeting with Sharif brother, first since return to the country, was a landmark occasion in view of the upcoming elections which are less than five weeks away, opined a leading daily The News. It appears that all the stakeholders are in a reconciliation mood in the interest of holding the polls in a peaceful manner, it said.