By IANS
Islamabad : Decks have been almost cleared for a power sharing deal between President Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto except a law that debars the Pakistan Peoples Party chief from a third term as premier, a close Musharraf confidant said Wednesday.
Railway Minister Shaikh Rashid told reporters here that during the intensive talks between the two sides in London, issues of the general’s military status, his power as the president in a future government and cases against Bhutto had been settled, Geo TV reported.
The sticking issue was about bringing a suitable amendment to the constitution that would allow Bhutto to a third term as the prime minister, Rashid said.
“Uniform is no longer an issue,” the minister said but added the next three days would be crucial.
Musharraf has said presidential elections would be held before Oct 15 and within the next three months new assemblies would be in place.
In an interview to Daily Telegraph Wednesday, Bhutto had said the question of uniform had been settled and Friday was the deadline for resolving outstanding issues.
No government officials contacted another former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, Rashid said.
Sharif lost power to General Musharraf in a bloodless military coup in 1999 and went in exile in 2000 to Saudi Arabia and London. The Pakistan Supreme Court last week ruled his exile illegal, saying as a Pakistani citizen he had the “inalienable constitutional right” to return without obstruction. Despite threat of arrest once on Pakistani soil, Sharif vowed to return home to lead his party in the elections.