LAHORE, March 7: As part of his efforts to defuse tension between the PPP-led government and the Sharif brothers, Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani met PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif here on Saturday.

Sources, however, said there was no breakthrough as the brothers refused to “settle for restoration of their government in Punjab and start negotiations for the judiciary”.

According to PML-N insiders, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Asfandyar Wali and Aslam Raisani, shuttling between the Presidency and Raiwind, have not been able to close the gap owing to extreme public positions both sides have taken on core issues.

Mr Raisani on Saturday reiterated the previous official position of “lifting the governor’s rule and restoration of the PML-N government in Punjab as quid pro quo for the Nawaz League backing off from the lawyers’ long march and sit-in”.

The restoration of judiciary would be renegotiated only after the PML-N disowned lawyers’ movement, the PPP has made it clear to PML-N.

“The problem with Sharif brothers is that the government’s foot dragging on lawyers’ movement without reinstatement of Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry as the Chief Justice will pull the moral rug from under their feet,” one of the participants of the meeting said.

According to insiders, the intermediaries had assured PML-N that a notification for the reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry would be issued by March 12. With President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday refusing to reinstate Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, little is left for negotiations and that is precisely the reason for the Sharifs to keep the political bowl boiling despite negotiators shuttling between the Presidency and Raiwind, he said.

The Sharifs are still sticking to their original demand – restoration of their government and reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry without expecting them to dissociate themselves from the lawyers’ movement -- and starting dialogue on other constitutional issues, including the removal of the 17th amendment and the Charter of Democracy. There is thus a complete stalemate, which both sides are denying for fear of “scuttling the reconciliation process”.

While talking to journalists, the Balochistan chief minister did not claim any progress after his second meeting in last few days with Shahbaz Sharif and said that he “would try to break the stalemate and register some progress”. He only promised to inform the president and the prime minister of the Sharifs’ point of view.

Former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, reiterated his stand that the Nov 2, 2007, judiciary and his government be restored.

“The problem with the Sharifs is that they cannot afford to be seen as negotiating with the PPP for personal gain – the restoration of the Punjab government,” said a leader of the party.

On the other hand, the PPP-led side is trying to send out a message that the PML-N was interested only in the restoration of the Punjab government.

That is why the only concrete offer from the government so far has been lifting of the governor’s rule and restoration of the PML-N government in Punjab. It has even hinted at removing Governor Salman Taseer, again a personal demand of the Sharifs. So the entire process was “hanging in the air,” he regretted.
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