ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: Leaders of the ruling coalition on Wednesday expressed reservations over the government-PPP talks but decided to support proposal to hold presidential polls ahead of parliamentary elections.
Sources said that in a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House, some ministers were sceptical of an accord with the PPP, citing deep political differences.
Sources quoted the ministers as saying that if such a deal was reached they might not apply for the PML ticket.
Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani said the difference of opinion was a sign of openness in the coalition and said all ministers had the right to express their opinions.
He claimed that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had been able to calm the ministers down and said they had explained the political reasons for which these talks were being held.
Sources quoted Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, reported to have been upset by the possibility of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s returning home, as saying at the meeting: “Listen fellows, if Nawaz returns, all of us will have to go.”
Defending his criticism of the Musharraf-Benazir deal, he is reported to have said: “My statements about the talks in fact go against the interests of the PPP and not of the PML.”
MQM is also unhappy over the talks and its leaders are reported to have said that the party was seriously concerned about “compromises being made on serious constitutional matters”.
The government-PPP talks were also opposed by federal ministers Ghaus Bakhsh Maher, Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, Wasi Zafar, Ejazul Haq, Liaquat Jatoi, Faisal Saleh Hayat and minister of state Raza Hayat Hirraj.
Faisal Saleh Hayat, the sources said, vociferously opposed the ongoing talks.
He said that the talks were strengthening the PPP and weakening the PML. His party (Patriots), he added, had been recently forced to join the ruling PML in a bid to make it a formidable political force.
Liaquat Jatoi spoke about his family’s formidable political strength in Sindh and said it would be a disaster if “we are forced to make compromises with our old political rivals”. He said that so far he had not applied for the party ticket and he “will not do so if the stage is prepared for the return of the PPP in Sindh”.
According to the sources Mr Jatoi warned the people negotiating with Benazir Bhutto “to remember the fate of a similar deal she had reached with former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan”.
Salim Saifullah Khan sounded at little different. He said: “We must not fear Nawaz Sharif’s return. We should face him politically even if we have to sit on the opposition benches. We have already ruled for five years.”
The meeting was attended by 26 coalition leaders, including PML’s secretary-general Mushahid Hussain, Justice (retd) Abdur Razaq Thaheem (PML-F) and Shamim Siddiqui of the MQM.A senior minister told this correspondent: “It was a gathering of people none of whom had any power to take a decision. They met and discussed issues like the PPP-Benazir deal, judiciary, constitutional issues and the general political situation.”
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Information Minister Durrani said that the meeting unanimously supported Gen Musharraf’s re-election.
He said Justice Thaheem read out a letter from Pir Pagara reiterating support for the president, the prime minister and the government.
Mr Durrani said the meeting endorsed the decision to nominate Gen Musharraf as the only candidate of the ruling coalition for the presidential election. It was also decided that all parliamentarians of the coalition would vote for the president.
