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Paper says Bhutto-Musharraf deal likely
A newspaper interview with Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto fuelled expectations on Monday that she will strike a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf before or after coming elections
- Agencies
- Published: 15:39 October 12, 2007
Islamabad: A newspaper interview with Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto fuelled expectations on Monday that she will strike a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf before or after coming elections.
Britain's Sunday Times reported that Bhutto, speaking to the newspaper from self-exile in Dubai, had said she wanted such a deal, but added it was "premature" to say one was imminent.
Widely quoted on Pakistani television news channels, the report reinforced belief Musharraf is reaching out to the self-exiled Bhutto to consolidate a second term as president,
and to form a common front against conservative religious forces in the Muslim nation.
Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) issued a statement to try to dampen talk of her cosying up to Pakistan's military leader, with elections looming in late 2007 or early 2008.
"When asked by the Sunday Times about the reports of a deal between her and the Musharraf regime she said that there was no deal," said the statement, issued by Farhatullah Babar, spokesman for Bhutto in Islamabad.
"I think that the deal is all but done," said Najam Sethi, editor of Pakistan's Daily Times newspaper.
Sethi expected Bhutto to return to Pakistan and lead the PPP, and the government to assure her that graft cases against her would be left to gather dust.
"Musharraf has no option but to do a deal, and Benazir has no option but to do a deal," he said.
Musharraf's popularity has sagged, damaged by ongoing moves to sack the country's top judge, and rivals have been encouraged by signs of strain in his relationship with the United States, his chief external source of support.
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