ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: The consultative meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and politicians on Sunday appeared ill-represented as almost all the major parties either remained away from it or were kept out.

Those who decided not to attend the meeting or were ignored included the Pakistan Muslim League, both factions of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Jamaat-i-Islami.

Even some of those who had met the president, including Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, came out in a bad taste as their request for release of detained political leaders was turned down by the president.

Insiders told Dawn that the politicians had advised the president to free as a goodwill gesture all those who had been detained for their anti-government stance.

The politicians were of the view that the gesture would help get the nation united against external threats.

However, they said, the president told the meeting in plain words that he was not ready to release the detainees, particularly Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

The JI leader, the president pointed out, had tried to create rift in the armed forces and that he would not pardon him at any cost.

PML chairman Raja Zafrul Haq told Dawn that he had refused to attend the meeting when informed by officials that he would be coming in his own capacity and would not represent his party.

Isn’t it a tragedy that while the Indian government brought together the entire opposition on the negotiation table to give the world an impression that it was a nation united against its foes, at home the managers of the meeting with Gen Musharraf dealt a blow to the spirit of understanding at this crucial time? he asked.

The omission of the chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Maulana Samiul Haq, after he had made up his mind to attend the meeting following a telephone call from the corps commander is a mystery.

The chief of the other faction of JUI, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, was also ignored.

The invitation to Prof Ghafoor Ahmed instead of Jamaat’s acting chief Syed Munawar Hasan was taken not well in the party.

The government seems to be giving preference to parties of its choice.

For instance, invitation to new-born Qaumi Jamhoori Party of Asghar Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehrik of Allama Tahirul Qadri was not seen in good taste by political observers who are of the view that these cannot replace the mainstream parties.

Nawabzada Nasrullah’s outcry at a press conference following the meeting with president is not without reason when he says that the military rulers’ attempt at disillusioning national politicians was not a good omen, especially when the nation needed absolute unity in its ranks.