General’s term needs a fresh look: CJ

The acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Munir A. Shaikh on Wednesday said the Supreme Court order allowing General Musharraf another three years to rule the country should be looked into. ‘‘This is an issue of interpretation of the decision. The Court will give its verdict if someone brings it to us,’’ Shaikh said.

‘Zardari briefly taken away for consultations’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians on Wednesday alleged that former premier Benazir Bhutto’s jailed husband Asif Zardari was briefly taken away by government officials on Tuesday night for ‘‘consultations’’ on forming a government. Zardari was taken away for two hours from a government hospital for ‘‘talks’’ as the party remained firm in its Opposition to form a coalition government with pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), reports here said. (PTI) Story continues below this ad

Meanwhile, in the continuing haggling on government formation, the pro and anti-Musharraf political parties have failed in their efforts to reach a consensus. However, they asked the military regime to announce a schedule for transfer of power to elected representatives.

Leaders of government-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Qaide Azam (PML-Q), former premier Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), and National Alliance met here on Tuesday night to thrash out their differences over President Pervez Musharraf’s Constitutional amendments. PPPP and MMA are sticking to their reservations in accepting Musharraf’s Legal Framework Order incorporating the amendments.

Failing to agree on government formation, the parties vowed not to create any deadlock in the way of transfer of power by the military government to the elected representatives and adopted a four-point declaration, calling on the Musharraf government to immediately convene the sessions of the national and provincial assemblies. The resolution said ‘‘the parties agreed they would not create any deadlock in Parliament which would impede the political process’’.

At the same time, in a separate meeting held here today, the MMA decided, in principle, to opt for the Opposition if it failed to form the government.

The Pakistani authorities also released an Islamic militant leader Azam Tariq of the banned Sunni Muslim militant Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) party today who was elected to the Parliament in the October polls, after a Judicial body refused to extend his year-long detention without trial.

Tariq said he would stay as an independent member of the National Assembly, although he is expected to boost the political strength of the six-party Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal religious alliance.