Sharif-Musharraf continue talks to beat coup rumours

The News also confirmed the meeting and claimed that the trio may have met twice on Friday mainly on the issue of what assurance Shahbaz gave to the US officials during his recent trip to Washington as premier8217;s special envoy.

The consultations, second in the last three days, assume importance in the light of the raging controversy over an imminent showdown between the governmentand the military, the newspapers claimed. Soon after their meeting with Musharraf, Shahbaz accompanied by Petroleum Minister Nisar Ali Khan met the prime minister and briefed him about their deliberations.

Shahbaz later met president Mohammed Rafiq Tarar and reportedly told him of his meetings with the US officials in Washington last week. The News also quoted a government source as saying that the 8220;real8221; worry for Shahbaz is that he 8220;had given some assurance to the US on the question of CTBT and he has been explaining it to the army chief for the last three days.

8220;The real problem is how the people of Pakistan will take the government signing the CTBT, as there is nothing like conditional signing of the treaty,8221; the source added.

Earlier, Pakistani media reports from Washington had claimed that during Shahbaz-US officials meetings, Pakistan was asked to sign the CTBT with the condition that if New Delhi carries out nuclear tests in future, Islamabad will have the option to do so thesame.

Apart from the differences over the CTBT, the observer claimed that the US had also expressed concern about Pakistan8217;s 8220;misadventure8221; in Kargil and asked Islamabad to fix responsibility for the same and resume the Lahore peace process with India.

The US, according to the daily, also wants Pakistan to create a quot;buffer zonequot; in Kargil by moving back its army from the current positions.This suggestion, however, has been outrightly rejected by the Pakistan Army which has been engaged in hectic parleys within its own ranks over the last few days. The joint chiefs of staff committee met twice as did the corps commanders under the chairmanship of General Musharraf.

Oppn activists held

KARACHI: Police today rounded up around 1,000 opposition activists ahead of a planned anti-government rally here. Police launched their crackdown against leaders of the newly-formed Grand Democratic Alliance GDA after outlawing rallies and protests for two months in the country8217;s commercial capital. Oppositionsources said senator Nasreen Jalil of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement MQM was detained at her home.

Police also confirmed the mass arrests during the crackdown which started overnight but gave no figures. Police and paramilitary rangers have been deployed at the location of the rally in the city8217;s exclusive Clifton Area.Raids were conducted at the MQM and the main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party PPP headquarters. The opposition parties have launched a campaign to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif out of office.