Power-Sharing Deal Possible In Pakistan

By ISAMBARD WILKINSON, The Daily Telegraph | February 21, 2008

LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistan's largest political party made a conciliatory gesture toward President Musharraf yesterday by offering to include one of his allies in a new coalition government. Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of Benazir Bhutto and co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, said he wanted to work with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which governs Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, and was a junior partner in the last administration.

Backroom dealing designed to build a new coalition is now under way. No single party has a majority in the 342-seat national assembly — but Mr. Musharraf's opponents won a clear victory in Monday's election, and an opposition figure is likely to become the new prime minister.

The PPP, which came first in the popular vote, is seeking coalition partners. Mr. Zardari ruled out Mr. Musharraf's own party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q.

While he alleged yesterday that Mr. Musharraf had held back final election results in order to tamper with the outcome in a handful of seats, he pointedly refrained from calling for the president's resignation.

Mr. Musharraf has met Mr. Zardari to discuss a possible power-sharing deal.

But there was uncertainty over whether Mr. Zardari, who has ruled himself out as a possible prime minister, will be able to bring hard-line elements of his party into a deal with Mr. Musharraf's allies. After its election victory, the party has several options. It could join elements of the PML-Q and its allies to rule three of Pakistan's four provinces, including Punjab, the most populous.

In the fourth province, North-West Frontier, the PPP may form a government with the secular party that defeated an alliance of Islamic fundamentalists.

Alternatively, the PPP could join a former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, whose party came second in the election, and try to impeach Mr. Musharraf by mustering a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

Mr. Sharif, who won most votes in Punjab and was overthrown by Mr. Musharraf in the military coup of 1999, has repeatedly demanded the president's resignation.

But Mr. Musharraf still has a majority in the Senate, which could block any impeachment.