ISLAMABAD, July 25: The establishment and the presidential camp are said to be pondering over a strategy aimed at repairing the damage sustained by the government following the Lal Masjid operation and the Supreme Court’s decision reinstating Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as the chief justice.

According to some well-placed sources, one of the proposals being considered involves the replacement of Shaukat Aziz with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the Prime Minister’s House. Mr Shujaat later on could be given the task of garnering public support for an extension in the tenure of the present assemblies by one year. A cabinet reshuffle could take place after the change at the top, the sources said.

Some hectic high-profile and unusually detailed meetings between President Gen Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, National Assembly speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, PML secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Sayed and top power brokers of the presidential camp in the last 72 hours give credence to the talk of proposed changes, sources said.

According to sources, the process of change may be initiated soon after a consensus is reached between the major players.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who rushed back by first available flight from London, cutting short his routine medical check-up on an SOS call from the president on Sunday, had an exhaustive meeting with Gen Musharraf in the company of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, when the three of them discussed a number of suggestions vis-à-vis damage control. The change at the top was the main topic of this lengthy meeting, the sources claimed.

When asked on Wednesday by Dawn about these reports Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who has since discussed the new strategy with the concerned people, neither confirmed nor rejected the possibility of a ‘big change at the top’. Mr Hussain, the sources claimed, is all set to land the top job in the cabinet for the second time.

The PML president has met the prime minister twice since his return from London. He met him on Wednesday as well, at which NA speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain and party chief whip Nasrullah Dreshak participated.

The prime minister, according to an official handout, expressed his satisfaction over the performance of the parliament since 2002 and appreciated the positive role played by both treasury and opposition benches in the functioning of the assemblies.

The prime minister again met the president after his meeting with the PML chief apparently to discuss the same issue and to firm up government’s political strategy.

The talks of change were first sounded in April when presidential reference against the CJP had backfired and took a violent and political turn due to its mishandling by the administration.

One reason for bringing a politician on top, the sources said, was to achieve support of other political parties and the religious forces for a consensus on extension of the tenure of present assemblies and the government.

Gen. Musharraf and his team feel the heat of the greatest danger that emanates from the US administration’s threats to follow the perceived hideouts of the high-value Al-Qaeda targets inside Pakistani territory. This whole situation demands a national approach involving all other political parties and groups and the government is mulling over drawing such a strategy.

It is being considered that after taking oath of office Mr. Hussain should convene an all-party conference (APC) with the agenda of pondering over the most critical situation that has been created by the US threats of direct penetration in Pakistan territory in hot pursuit of terrorists.

In the proposed conference, the sources said, the issue of extension of the assembly’s tenure would be mooted for a consensus.

The APC, in which almost all the political parties including the Pakistan People’s Party would most likely take part, would discuss and formalise a national consensus on electoral code of conduct. Spadework for the proposed APC has also been set in motion, sources said, claiming initial success.

When asked about the rationale of replacement of Shaukat Aziz at the juncture of new elections, the sources claimed, “Such a move will end his chances of becoming candidate in the next setup to bring to the fore Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as main contender for the premiership”.

The sources claimed that Aziz has already been taken into confidence on the new strategy and he has raised no objections to it.

The plan may unfold in a few days if all its details were agreed by the concerned quarters and finalised at the appropriate level, the sources said.