Overseas Pakistani Friends

IRFAN BUKHARI
ISLAMABAD – Very close aides of President Pervez Musharraf asked MQM to withdraw its PM candidate in a bid to woo Zardari to adopt a soft stance towards President, TheNation learnt reliably here on Saturday.
The sources within PML-Q disclosed that MQM leadership had been asked by a very close associate of President Musharraf and a former head of a spy agency to withdraw its PM candidate contesting against the PPP nominee.
“In the meeting between PML-Q and MQM, the later told the former that the party had been convinced by the presidential camp to do so,” the source disclosed, adding that the unprecedented attempt by the presidential camp to bring MQM and PPP close was meant to create a soft corner in the heart of angry kingmaker Zardari.
The source said that according to presidential camp the inclusion of MQM in the coalition government could create a confrontation within quadrangular alliance, as the PML-N has a very strict stance towards MQM particularly after May 12 bloodbath in Karachi.
PML-Q leader claimed that the withdrawal of cases against Zardari had the same objective to woo Zardari to shed anti-Musharraf stance and get friendly towards him. “Presidential camp at every cost wants to create fissures between Zardari and Nawaz,” he maintained.
The source said, “If MQM shares power in the centre and succeeds in getting portfolios, it would annoy PML-N and the hawks within N-League would start exerting pressure on Mian Nawaz Sharif to take the issue with Zardari that could create a deadlock within an easygoing alliance”. 
He claimed that PML-N in its All Parties Conference at London last July had vowed not to compromise with MQM in any condition. “If the quadrangular alliance accepts MQM in power-sharing, then PML-N would have to bear extreme pressure also from APDM that is currently supporting Mian Nawaz Sharif and his policies,” he added. He noted that ANP, the coalition partner of PPP, would also be caught in trouble over the inclusion of MQM in the alliance, as the Pakhtoons were not ready to bury the hatchet with Muttahida.
“On the other hand, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari shook hands with MQM to foil the possible move of disgruntled Makhdoom Amin Fahim to split the party in Sindh in retaliation over the nomination of any other candidate for PM slot”, the source said, adding that Zardari had closed Fahim’s doors to make a coalition government with PML-Q and MQM with his loyalists in his stronghold Sindh.
Another well-informed source within joint opposition while telling the whole story that how did MQM shake hands with PPP said that two close aides of President Pervez Musharraf on Friday evening phoned MQM Chief Altaf Hussain and asked him to withdraw Dr Farooq Sattar from premiership run. “When Altaf said that he would take decision after consulting PML-Q leadership as Sattar had been fielded not only by the Muttahida but also by the opposition parties jointly, he was told by the aides of President that they had convinced Chaudhrys and Q-League had agreed with the proposal,” the source said. He further told that actually PML-Q leadership was unaware of the development and knew only about it when Altaf Hussain had committed with Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to withdraw Farooq Sattar from the run of premiership race.Courtesy: The Nation, 23/3/2008

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