November 28, 2006	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 6, 1427

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ISLAMABAD Nov 27: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Durrani on Monday ruled out any possibility of the government entering into a deal with any political party, including the People’s Party Parliamentarians.

Commenting on a report appearing in a section of the press about a government-PPP deal on the future set-up, the minister said political dialogues were a continuous process but the government was not engaged in talks with any party on the future set-up.

Mr Durrani was talking to journalists in the Parliament House cafeteria.

Asked about reports of dismissal of MMA’s provincial governments if they did not enforce the women’s rights bill, he said the government wanted members of parliament to complete their tenure. He added that the government had not taken any decision so far to dissolve any assembly.

The minister invited opposition parties for talks and said the government would welcome a move by the opposition to bring foreign observers to monitor the election process.

Asked about the fate of parliament if MMA lawmakers resigned, he said the government believed they would not resign because they were split on the issue. However, he said, if they resigned the government would take the constitutional course to meet the situation.

About the women’s rights bill, he said: “It is a settled issue as far as the government is concerned and if any party differs on its content it is free to amend the bill when it comes to power with the needed majority.”

Answering a question, he said there was no need for an interim set-up before the present government completed its tenure.

Asked whether the present assemblies would elect Gen Musharraf for another term or the future legislators would do so, Mr Durrani said: “Everything will be done strictly in accordance with the Constitution”.

He claimed that the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Awami National Party and the PPP had backed the women’s rights bill in order to get people’s support in the next general election.

He said the MMA’s planned long march in Gujarat was another political gimmick which was destined to fail.