Shujaat led talks with PPP, says Mushahid: US pressure denied
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain led the PML side in talks with the PPP on the National Reconciliation Ordinance, according to Pakistan Muslim League’s secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain.
Addressing a press briefing after a special cabinet meeting approved the final draft of the ordinance, Senator Hussain said that the PML’s team included himself and Hamid Nasir Chattha, and it held talks with the PPP team led by Makhdoom Amin Fahim on Sept 24, 25 and 26 for about 12 hours. Raja Parvaiz Ashraf and Dr Safdar Abbasi were others members of the PPP team.
Senator Mushahid was accompanied by Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani and Law Minister Hamid Zahid.
He did not agree with a questioner that the reconciliation had been reached under US pressure and said it would affect the overall national politics and eliminate political victimisation.
According to him, after achieving a broader understanding, the matter was referred to legal experts, including himself and the federal Law Minister from the PML’s side and Senator Farooq Naik and Safdar Abbassi from the PPP.
The ordinance, he said, had been improved to ensure impartiality in declaring election results, adding that all parties had complaints in this regard.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) would be answerable before parliament in future to end victimisation of politicians in the name of accountability, he said.
He said there were five cases pending against Ms Bhutto while her husband was facing six NAB cases, which would be withdrawn. He rejected reports about differences in the PML over providing relief to Ms Bhutto.
Meanwhile an official handout said: “Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has described the National Reconciliation Ordinance 2007 as a step forward in creating an atmosphere of tolerance and harmony in national politics, free of vendetta and polarisation that marred the national political scene in the decades of 1980 and 1990.
“The prime minister reiterated the resolve of the ruling coalition to re-elect President Musharraf.”
The information minister told media personnel that the cabinet had also discussed the issue of wheat availability and it was decided that prices of essential commodities would be discussed in future cabinet meetings.
Mr Durrani said that the ordinance would not be apply to cases instituted by the present government.
“We are confident that President Musharraf will win the presidential poll as we enjoy majority in parliament and all the four provincial assemblies,” said the minister.
