Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Monday said that she would be willing to serve as premier under President Pervez Musharraf, if he relinquished his role as army chief.

The PPP leader told CNN, “..there have been contacts between the military regime and Pakistan People’s Party including myself and we have been trying to search for a solution that could take Pakistan peacefully towards a democratic set-up,” when asked about the meeting with ruling party leaders.

When queried whether a government that included General Musharraf as president with herself as prime minister could function, despite the history of bad blood between the two, she replied, “I think, while General Musharraf and I have been on opposite sides of the pole where issues of dictatorship and democracy are concerned, we have both stated our determination to move Pakistan onto the path of moderation”.

She added, “we have worked together on issues such as women’s rights. But it carries risks because at the moment, independent surveys show that two-thirds of Pakistanis are unhappy with General Musharraf”. She hoped that both of them would  be able to come up with a situation where they could undermine terrorism and address the real needs of the people, which had been neglected. This would be possible if they entered into an agreement for a smooth transfer of power and ensured a balance of power between the presidency and parliament.

When asked if under the right circumstances, she could work together with Mr Musharraf in the same government, she answered, “if the people of Pakistan give me a mandate, yes. But there would need to be a balance between the powers of the presidency and powers of the parliament”.

She opined that if the president of a country was in uniform, the distinction between democracy and military rule would be blurred.  She also observed that the Pakistan Supreme Court had recently asserted its independence more vocally and issues pertaining to Musharraf’s re-election from the present assemblies were bound to be challenged.

She asserted,“free and fair elections are necessary to maintain stability in Pakistan, especially as support for Mr Musharraf is waning. If the elections are rigged, there will be public protests and certainly the extremists will try to take advantage by creating anarchy and chaos. Pakistan can’t afford that”.

Constitutional amendment sought
In a separate interview with Newsweek, Ms Bhutto said she was negotiating with Mr Musharraf for an amendment to the Constitution which would allow her to become the premier for the third time.

The Pakistani Constitution prohibits a person holding the office of prime minister for more than two times.
She also stated that if she assumed power again, she would work with other leaders in the region, including Indians and Afghans, to bring about peace.

She explained, “the earlier experience taught me a lot. There’s been plenty of time for reflection [since]. We have difficult relations with India and tensions with Afghanistan. I hope to work with other leaders in the region to bring about peace”.

Asked whether she had struck any deal with Mr Musharraf, she said, “we have covered some points, but there are others still to cover. These include steps that can be taken to ensure that the coming elections are fair and open to all political parties and leaders; lifting the ban on a twice-elected prime minister seeking office a third time; a balance of power between the president and prime minister and a level playing field for all political parties”.

U-turn by Benazir?
Earlier reports had indicated that Ms Benazir Bhutto wanted to return to Pakistan along with Nawaz Sharif, ruling out any truck with General Musharraf.  

GENERAL MOVE
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has reportedly decided to get re-elected for another five year term in uniform despite prospects of the Supreme Court conducting a close judicial scrutiny of his plans for re-election by the present assemblies.

General Musharraf travelled to Karachi to meet the legislators of his close ally, the Muthahida Quami Movement (MQM). He reportedly told them that he was firming up plans to get re-elected from the existing assemblies on September 15, The Dawn quoted some of the MQM legislators as saying.

In the recent past, Mr Musharraf had said that he planned to get re-elected between September 15 and October 15 in khaki uniform. He asserted that he was constitutionally entitled to hold the dual posts till the end of this year, after which he would decide whether to shed uniform or not.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, (PML-Q) has already endorsed his plans to get re-elected. The party enjoys a working majority in the National Assembly, Sindh and Punjab provincial assemblies and shares power in Baluchistan with Muthahida Majlis Amal, (MMA), while MMA enjoys a  majority in the NWFP Assembly.

General Musharraf also reportedly brushed aside threats of judicial challenge posed by the Supreme Court, which was expected to take a up a host of petitions, including that of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and other political leaders and lawyers’ outfits, if he went ahead with his election.

MQM legislators also said that Mr Musharraf did not indicate that he was contemplating doffing his much maligned uniform.

The Supreme Court has already admitted a petition by president of Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA), challenging Mr Musharraf’s move to  occupy the dual posts of president and army chief. However, hearing in the case is yet to begin.

His plan for re-election was expected to be challenged on different counts, including an official taking part in politics while in service, whereas rules bar officials from contesting polls until two years after they retired or quit their jobs.

Mr Musharraf, who assumed power in a military coup in 1999, got re-elected by the assemblies and managed to continue in uniform after changing the constitution with the help of MMA in 2003.

MQM leaders said that Mr Musharraf was in an expansive mood and spoke at length on the current political situation in the country, the Lal Masjid operation and the scourge of terrorism and extremism adversely impacting the country’s economic strength.

He carefully skirted around the subject of the government’s contact with the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party, especially his widely reported meeting with PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi. He asserted that the present set-up would continue and any change would depend on who emerged victorious in the next general election.