July 31, 2007	Tuesday	Rajab 15, 1428

ISLAMABAD, July 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf may hang up his uniform to pave the way for a pact with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto after the two met in Abu Dhabi, a minister said on Monday.

Gen Musharraf and Ms Bhutto held secret talks in the Gulf emirate on Friday on a pre-election power-sharing deal, but reached no agreement on two key issues, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi said.

The sticking points were the issue of Gen Musharraf’s dual role as president and army chief and a bar that prevents Ms Bhutto having a third term as premier, Mr Niazi said.

Ms Bhutto insisted on Sunday she would not strike a deal with Gen Musharraf so long as he remained army chief.

“The two met in Abu Dhabi on Friday to hammer out a political understanding so that moderate forces can join hands to defeat extremists in the coming general elections,” Mr Niazi said.

Mr Niazi said he believed that Gen Musharraf “would be willing to shed his uniform if he has the PPP and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League behind him”.

Mr Niazi said that if the two agreed on a deal, the constitution could be amended to allow prime ministers to serve a third term. The ban was inserted into the constitution by Gen Musharraf in 2003, with support from an alliance of religious parties which have since turned against him.

“An alliance between Bhutto and Musharraf is a necessity in the prevailing situation, it is also the desire of the international community, particularly the United States and Britain,” he said.

Gen Musharraf was meeting with his current allies, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League on Monday, to brief them on his talks with Ms Bhutto, officials said.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, who is known to be close to the president, said Gen Musharraf would be re-elected as president-cum-army chief sometime between September 15 and the middle of October.—AFP