PESHAWAR, Sept 21: Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Senator Salim Saifullah Khan on Friday said the government was in contact with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), but had not yet reached any understanding.

Speaking at the Peshawar Press Club’s “Guest’s Hour” programme, he said that PML secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Syed had held a meeting with PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and discussed with him various issues.

Mr Saifullah said that it had been a policy of the present government to initiate dialogues with the disgruntled political forces, instead of keeping them in a permanent state of isolation. He said some of the ruling PML central leaders were against a power-sharing deal with the Pakistan People’s Party, while some others were in favour of it.

“Dialogue is the best option in politics because it defuses tension and paves way for respect and understanding between hostile groups,” he added.

The minister said the ruling party had opposed the removal of 58 (2-b) and withdrawal of corruption cases against Benazir Bhutto which blocked the process of deal with the PPP. He said it was a good decision that Ms Bhutto was coming to Pakistan. “It is an embarrassing situation for Pakistan that main leaders of political parties are outside the country.”

He said Nawaz Sharif, who had been denying signing any accord with the government, had finally accepted that he had assured the Saudi king that he would not return to Pakistan for five years.

The PML-N leadership, Mr Saifullah said, had failed to bring even hundreds of workers to the airport on Sept 10 – the day Mr Sharif was deported to Saudi Arabia.

The minister denied that an option to impose martial law was under consideration if the government failed to find a political solution to the emerging crisis. “The imposition of martial law in 21st century is not possible and the world community will not recognise it.”

He said there was no extraordinary situation in the country. He denied that there were any hurdles in the way of president’s re-election. “The PML and its allies will get the president re-elected easily.”

Mr Saifullah said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had accepted President Musharraf in uniform, but now it was opposing him. The president would doff his uniform on Nov 15, he added.

He regretted that despite many efforts he could not table the Provincial Autonomy Bill in the National Assembly. He said he was in favour of abolishing the concurrent list. He said the federating units were competent enough to exercise the autonomy in their administrative and financial affairs. He said that ‘strong centre’ was a thing of past.