Parliament's first session put off

President Pervez Musharraf yesterday postponed the inaugural session of Pakistan's hung parliament as the persisting deadlock among the major parties on forming a majority coalition deepened the political crisis.

"In deference to the wishes of the political parties the government has decided to delay the convening of the first session of the National Assembly by one week," a government spokesman said.

The exact date for the first session, which Musharraf had earlier set for Friday, would be announced soon, the spokesman said following a cabinet meeting chaired by the military ruler.

The pro-government Pakistan Muslim League-QA and some other groups allied to it on Tuesday demanded the postponement, saying that political parties needed further time to arrive at a "consensus" on government formation.

From the opposition camp only Pakistan People‚s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim was quoted by a Japanese news agency as demanding a delay, but he later denied the report.

PPP immediately slammed the delay in convening the assembly and accused the regime of harassing its members-elect through police and secret agencies to force them to join the pro-government party.

"A number of our legislators-elect have complained that they are subjected to midnight knocks," PPP secretary general Reza Rabbani said in a statement.

"The continued hounding, harassment and intimidation of PPP legislators-elect by the sleuths of the military regime with a view to forcing them to change their loyalties is condemned in the strongest terms," Rabbani said.

"Manipulation of election results and manipulation of power transfer by the regime to turn the majority of anti-regime parties into parliamentary minority amounts to cheating the people of their political rights, which will have disastrous consequences for the integrity and stability of the federation," he warned.

Government officials say that there is no law in force at present against defection. The 1973 constitution does contain a clause against floor-crossing in parliament but it would take effect when Musharraf revives the suspended constitution before the National Assembly session.

Political and government sources said that the regime was making behind the scenes effort to bring about a broad-based coalition.

"The idea is to have a coalition basically of the pro-government party and the PPPP of Fahim," a source familiar with the off-stage manoeuvring said.

The regime is willing to concede a subsidiary role in future setup for Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) religious alliance that secured third position in the assembly after the first PML-QA and second PPP Parliamentarians.

"Musharraf does not want to see MMA cutting a deal with PPPP to catapult itself into power at the centre," the source said, referring to the U.S. concerns over the surprise unprecedented success of religious parties in the October 10 elections.

After the elections the government has offered to the Fahim-led PPPP a deal for release of PPP leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's jailed husband Asif Ali Zardari, they said. But the couple did not warm up to the offer and the PPPP started coalition talks with MMA, sources said.

According to the sources Bhutto, living in self-imposed exile, has conveyed her own terms for a deal. She wants the unconditional release of Zardari and other party leaders, withdrawal of corruption charges against the couple, her safe return to Pakistan and lifting of all restrictions on resumption of their political career.

"Contacts are still going for a compromise and that is also one of the factors behind the postponement of the parliament session," a source said.

Fahim, a potential prime ministerial candidate in case a coalition with PML-QA materialises, has been advocating a government of national unity, a proposal that sources said enjoys undeclared backing of the regime.

Meanwhile 15-party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), of which PPP and PML-N of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif are main components, said its negotiations with MMA were progressing.

ARD president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan said he hoped that an agreement would be concluded soon. The two sides have so far failed to produce a pact despite repeated claims that an understanding has been achieved in principle on a joint prime ministerial candidate.

MMA says any coalition arrangement would be conditional on support for its secretary general Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whom it has already nominated for the top executive office.