September 15, 2003	Monday	Rajab 17, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: The stage is set for the final round of talks between the ruling coalition and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on the Legal Framework Order on Tuesday to finalize a constitutional amendment package.

However, the chances of success of the final round appeared slim as the ‘hidden hands’ which had sabotaged the process every time the two sides seemed to be narrowing down their differences are said to have stepped up their efforts to scuttle the talks once again.

Sources said the ‘hidden hands’ had been exploiting the widening gulf between Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali and PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain by instigating one to discredit the other when either of the two succeeding in reaching an agreement with the MMA.

The sources said the prime minister had distanced himself from the talks process, and according to an insider when the prime minister was asked about the settlement reached at the Lahore meeting he replied: “I do not know anything about it.”

It was only when President Musharraf called Zafarullah Jamali and Chaudhry Shujaat to his office and asked them to convene a meeting of the heads of the political parties on Sept 16.

The sources claimed that the Jamali-Shujaat conflict had become so intense that not only the government-MMA talks, attempts to merge various factions of the PML had also suffered, with one group in the PML-Q supporting the efforts of Chaudhry Shujaat, while the other championing the cause of Mr Jamali.