LAHORE, March 6: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed on Friday progress in efforts to bring about a conciliation between President Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan Muslim League-N leadership.

The Sharif brothers have launched a campaign against their disqualification and imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab and are pressing for reinstatement of the deposed judges.

“The two sides have reached an agreement on fundamental issues which triggered the current political crisis sparked by disqualification of Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif, though details are yet to be worked our,” he told reporters after a three-hour meeting with PML-N leaders in Raiwind.

He refused to divulge details of the issues on which an agreement had been reached, saying he was not in a position to make public the fine points of mediation.

He said he would meet the president on Saturday for further discussion in the light of talks held at Raiwind.

The maulana has been shuttling between President Zardari and the Sharifs, along with Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, since the disqualification of the PML-N leaders and imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab to defuse the political tension and bring the two sides together again.

“Both the sides have demonstrated a positive attitude and are cooperating with us in finding a way out of the crisis. Now the agreement between the two sides on basic issues makes me feel optimistic that this crisis will be settled soon. We are trying to resolve it before the long march,” he said.

This optimism, however, appeared to be out of sync with the Sharifs’ tirade against President Zardari at a rally at Charing Cross, precisely at the time the maulana was talking to newsmen.

“Now the matter will be settled on the street,” Mian Nawaz told the rally.

Maulana Fazl tried to play down the rhetoric and said he was not concerned about what the two said in public or did on the street. “I don’t want to comment on that or put any of the sides in a difficult situation. I’m concerned with what we have discussed in confidence.”But, he said, he had requested the two sides to avoid using ‘harsh and uncivilised’ language against each other. “Both Zardari and Nawaz are experienced politicians and understand that the country cannot afford a political crisis,” he said.

Political analysts here have started saying that the time for a compromise may have already passed. The Sharifs have time and again expressed their lack of trust in President Zardari and demand guarantees from the mediators for implementation of any new agreement.

“Somebody has to bridge this trust deficit. It is part of our mission,” the Maulana said.

Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed has warned Nawaz Sharif against trusting Maulana Fazl and Mr Asfandyar Wali who he said belong to “the Zardari set-up”. Asked to comment on the JI chief’s remark, Maulana Fazl smilingly said: “Mian Nawaz Sharif is an intelligent politician. He could not be trapped by Qazi in the past and he will not fall into his trap in future.”

But analysts insist that the Sharifs are not likely to accept guarantees offered by the mediators. “The PML-N wants the army to act as the mediator. It was evident from a statement made by Mian Shahbaz a couple of days ago in which he opposed military’s direct intervention in politics. When he opposes direct military intervention, he is actually seeking indirect intervention, military as guarantors of their agreement with Zardari,” an analyst said. “There is only one authority in this country which can force a president to honour his word: the army.”
Tags: