LAHORE, Jan 5: In what appears to be a sea change in its thinking, the PPP of Ms Benazir Bhutto has asked President Pervez Musharraf to set a deadline to take off his uniform.

The change in policy was brought to light by a letter a party leader has sent to various ambassadors based in Pakistan.

The letter explains PPP policy on various issues, but doesn't say what the party expects the diplomats to do. Unlike the previous such letters which urged the other countries through their envoys to use their influence to get various things done by the government, the Wednesday communication make no such demand.

The letter has been written by the party's Foreign Liaison Committee Coordinator Munir Ahmed Khan. Pointing out that the president has enough powers and is even the supreme commander of the armed forces, it says Gen Musharraf doesn't need his uniform.

The letter said of the party stand on the issue: "It is asking Gen Musharraf to set a deadline for taking the uniform off because it considers it important to Pakistan's transition from military to civilian rule".

Significantly, it doesn't urge the president to step down. The letter said: "The PPP appreciates that Pakistan is facing special challenges given the geo-political situation. However, it has reservations about whether wearing two hats is the correct way to move forward in meeting the requirement of national security or stability of the system".

The PPP, the letter said, recognized that Pakistan is facing threats from militancy and terrorism. However, it believed that the enormous powers vested in the Presidency allowed the country to face the threat with the full support of the military, which under the 17th Amendment comes under the president.

It said that while the PPP was directly affected by the alleged manipulation of the Election Commission, the judiciary, the NAB and the use of the intelligence apparatus against it, "it is not directly affected by Gen Musharraf keeping his uniform on". About the PPP's relations with the MMA, the letter said the PPP had warned the MMA not to sign on the 17th Amendment.

It said: "The PPP is unlikely to join the MMA in its protest. It does not trust the MMA. However, the PPP is caught in a difficult situation between lack of space provided by the ruling PML-Q to it and its reluctance to join the MMA because of policy differences".

The letter said: "In fact, as the debate on the inclusion of the religious column in the passport demonstrates, the PPP has more in common with Musharraf's stated policy of moderation and the PML-Q has more in common with the MMA".

The PPP proposed the holding of fair, free and impartial elections, under an independent election commission, with transparent modalities and an accurate vote count in which all parties and personalities could participate as the way forward to take Pakistan out of a situation where there is direct military rule.

"When Musharraf seized power he promised to restore true democracy, he said that it is only when true democracy is restored, that Pakistan's internal stability will be guaranteed and its national interest secured. (The) PPP would like to see Gen Musharraf keep that promise".

The letter said when elections in Ukraine were declared flawed, they were cancelled and held afresh. The October 2002 elections were also flawed. "With Gen Musharraf keeping his uniform on, Pakistan was back to the pre-October 2002 situation.

Therefore, the PPP would like to see the 17th Amendment repealed and fresh general elections held in 2005 under an independent election Commission and with transparent modalities, an accurate vote-count and participation of all parties and personalities. This would set the stage for a fresh dialogue for the future of Pakistan and the institutions needed to guarantee that future".