ISLAMABAD, Aug 20: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday chaired a high-level meeting of his constitutional and legal advisers to discuss whether the reported agreement under which former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his family had been sent to Saudi Arabia should be produced in the Supreme Court.
The government is said to be considering submitting the agreement in the apex court on Wednesday to prove that the Sharifs had agreed to leave the country for 10 years.
The meeting which was attended by Attorney General Justice (retd) Malik Muhammad Qayum, former law minister Dr Khalid Ranjha and other advisers discussed the possible repercussions if the agreement was submitted in the court.
Mr Sharif has denied having signed any agreement with Gen Musharraf whereas federal minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and AGP Malik Qayum have claimed to have seen the documents.
The meeting, sources said, also discussed various options, including extension of the tenure of the present assemblies, being proposed by various circles to cope with the serious political crisis.
The presidential election schedule, PML sources told Dawn, would likely be announced on Sept 15 and the elections would held on Sept 22.
The meeting, the sources said, also discussed the situation which would emerge in the event of the former prime minister and his family returning to Pakistan following an apex court judgment. The court cases revived against the Sharifs were also discussed.
Dr Khalid Ranjha told Dawn that under constitutional provisions, Gen. Musharraf could be elected in uniform and could remain president-in-uniform till November 15, adding that the legal position was different from the moral position.
The sources disclosed that the president also discussed with his legal team the line of action to be taken in case his presidential nomination were rejected by the election commission or the Supreme Court and if the papers of a cover candidate should be filed.
The sources said that Gen. Musharraf had held a meeting with his political aides in Lahore on Saturday, which was attended by PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Ilahi. This was preceded by a meeting with MNAs from Lahore and Multan.
The meeting discussed the possibility of reconciliation with the Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and a political patch-up with the arch rivals in the PML (N).
Earlier, Chaudhry Shujaat had held a meeting with Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman in which the overall political situation was discussed.































