ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed claims that a deal between President Pervez Musharraf and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto has already been finalised with ‘all details’ and Ms Bhutto’s recent statements suggesting otherwise are a political gimmick.

Addressing a news conference here on Monday, he said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had been sent to Saudi Arabia under a written deal which he claimed to have read. While other family members, he said, had signed the deal before boarding the planey, Shahbaz Sharif had signed it at the airport, he said. He said whenever Ms Bhutto returned home she would do it under some government understanding.

Mr Rashid said he would contest the coming election from both the National Assembly seats in Rawalpindi. He said there were no differences in the ruling party on the issue of tickets.

He said JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman was a ‘hot candidate’ for premiership because of his proximity with the PML (N) and his claims of being able to resolve the issues relating to Afghanistan, tribal insurgency and extremism.