PPP Chief Benazir discusses political situation with Jack Straw
Pakistan Times Foreign Desk Report

LONDON (UK): Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto met British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in London and discussed political situation in Pakistan including reconciliation efforts between the government and opposition parties.

Bhutto, who is in self-exile also discussed with Straw her talks with the emissaries of President Pervez Musharraf to arrive at a political understanding for reconciliation between the government and opposition parties, media reports here quoted a British Foreign Office spokesman as saying.

The spokesman said Straw and Bhutto discussed the political situation in Pakistan and expressed support for further development of democracy in the country, the report said by adding that the meeting took place at Ms Bhutto's initiative.

The spokesman reaffirmed Britain's strong relationship with the government of President Musharraf, it said.

PPP's Perception

Senior leaders of Ms Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] was of the view that the meeting was part of attempts by the US and UK to work out a political understanding between moderate parties and Musharraf, specially after the 2007 general elections.

Bhutto, who keeps shuttling between London and Dubai, has just returned from Washington where she held talks with officials of the Bush administration.

Besides holding talks with Straw, Ms Benazir Bhutto yesterday met Shahbaz Sharif, the PML [N] leader and brother of exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and discussed the political situation back home, the report said.

To Contest next Elections

Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party has rejected statements by federal ministers that an agreement has been reached between the government and the PPP and that party chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto would not be contesting the next elections.

In a statement issued in Islamabad on Wednesday, a PPP spokesperson said the regime had announced a policy of reconciliation to establish contacts with opposition parties. The regime has also said that it would pursue enlightened policies.

“The opposition has welcomed the policy of reconciliation and kept its doors open to dialogue on enlightenment. The opposition believes that democracy and human rights are part of an enlightened society. Moreover, the PPP believes that terrorism and extremism can only be rooted out by strengthening democratic institutions,” the spokesperson said.

The PPP spokesperson said dialogue was one element whereas agreement was another. While the government has been in contact with the PPP since October 1999, no agreement has been reached between the two sides.

The spokesperson said; “Political leaders in Pakistan continue to be imprisoned. Others are in exile and politically motivated cases continue to be used to re-engineer Pakistan’s political landscape.”

The PPP supports the process of contact and dialogue. However, the party reaffirms that there has been no agreement under which Ms Benazir Bhutto would not contest the next general elections or that the PPP has accepted that the next general elections be held in 2007.

The spokesperson said the PPP had called upon the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan to hold the elections.●