ISLAMABAD, July 15: The new round of talks between the government and the opposition is unlikely to break the deadlock between the two sides as President Gen Pervez Musharraf has once again firmly refused to give any timeframe for removing his military uniform.
Sources close to the president told Dawn here on Tuesday that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had been told by President Musharraf, during the three meetings they held in a matter of one week, that he would himself decide when to give up the uniform and that the opposition must not insist on a firm timeframe in this regard.
According to them, the president told the prime minister that he needed the uniform at this juncture to impress upon the world that the decisions that the government was in the process of taking on the issues like Kashmir, Iraq and Israel had the blessings of both the elected civilian government and the army and, therefore, he could not oblige the opposition or even Mr Jamali at this stage by announcing the date on which he would give up the uniform.
“President Musharraf has made it abundantly clear to the prime minister that he would not accept any pressure and that this should be very clearly communicated to the opposition,” a source said.
Nevertheless, the president has shown flexibility on other issues, including the National Security Council (NSC), some provisions of the 58(2)(B) and the retirement age of the judges.
One proposal which is being discussed in the presidential quarters is that under the powers of 58(2)(B) the president could at first dismiss the cabinet if he found it to be not functioning properly and if things did not improve even after that then he could dissolve the parliament.
The sources said the prime minister would convey to the opposition leaders the president’s mind on these matters, directly or indirectly, during the meeting of the parties’ heads planned for this week.
They said forceful statement given by PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in London on Monday that no talks could be held on the Legal Framework Order after the Speaker’s ruling has caused ripples in the official quarters and embarrassment to the prime minister who was trying to mend fences with the opposition at about the same time.
“Shujaat’s statement shows that the opposition has succeeded in creating misunderstanding within the establishment,” a source said.
