Musharraf and Benazir set to patch up differences

Islamabad: President Pervez Musharraf and exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto are all set for one final round of talks before September 14 in Dubai, Federal Minister for Railways Shaikh Rashid Ahmad said in an interview with a private television channel yesterday.

"Three main issues - dissolution of local governments, Article 58-2/B of the constitution and a third term for prime ministers - need to be resolved and, hopefully, the differences will be hammered out while the two leaders meet in Dubai before the start of Ramadan," Rashid told ARY Digital television.

Resumed

Speaking highly of the Pakistan People's Party chairperson for not setting a deadline to the government, he quipped: "Benazir Bhutto is playing her cards sensibly and wisely."

Meanwhile, sources told Gulf News that the stalled talks between emissaries of President Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto were set to be resumed in the UAE yesterday.

"National Security Council secretary Tariq Aziz is already there, with ISI chief General Ashfaq Kiani expected to join him with a new message from the president for Benazir," the source added.

Bhutto and close aide Rehman Malik would lead the PPP delegation in talks, the sources added.

"I can only tell you that talks are on with former premier Bhutto ... any information as to the results of the talks will be issued to the media when we reach an agreement," a presidential spokesman said yesterday while addressing journalists.

On former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's bid to end his exile, he said that someone would prevail on Sharif to keep his promise and stay away from the country for three more years.

If Sharif ignored all advice, the government had a plan in place to tackle him, he said.

Sharif's return

"If he [Sharif] finally decides to land in Islamabad, rest assured, he will have to face problems and it will not be easy for him to achieve his presumed targets and if he keeps promise with the guarantors, and cancels his return, it will be his political demise," Rashid claimed.

Meanwhile, PML(Q) chief Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain told journalists yesterday that talks between the government and the PPP chairperson were "in the doldrums".