Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf held talks with top aides yesterday to weigh up his shrinking options after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to return from exile to block his re-election plans.
Musharraf, who is fighting for his political life, and close advisers were to discuss proposals by another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, for a power-sharing deal that would see him quit as army chief.
The US also reminded its key ally in the "war on terror" of his previous commitments to shed his uniform before seeking re-election by parliament this month or next month.
"The president is holding further discussions with his top political aides later Friday," one the aides said on condition of anonymity.
A minister also confirmed the discussions were taking place.
He said Musharraf was trying to "thrash out differences with ruling party leadership, which opposes an amendment which will pave the way for Bhutto or Sharif to hold the prime minister's office for the third term."
Officials said Musharraf had not yet decided whether to step down from the army to secure any power-sharing deal with Bhutto.
Sharif said on Thursday that he would fly home on Sept. 10 after seven years in exile to lead a "decisive battle" against Musharraf, who ousted him in a coup in 1999, and contest general elections due by early next year.
Bhutto, considered a natural ally for Musharraf because of her more liberal stance, has also pledged to come back from her exile over corruption charges, although she is still pushing the president for a pact.
Her Pakistan People's Party, the country's largest, said that it was still waiting for a response from the president's camp but dismissed reports it had delivered a deadline of yesterday.
Bhutto wants Musharraf to quit the army before the presidential election; concede the power to dissolve parliament; and overturn a ban on anyone serving a third term as prime minister, which would have ruled her out.
"If Musharraf does not agree to our proposals, we will have to go our separate ways. Our struggle for democracy will continue," party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Sharif, who served as premier between 1990 and 1993 and again from 1997 to 1999, condemned the proposed Bhutto deal as "bad for the country."
Pakistan's Supreme Court has ruled that Sharif can return from exile, but the government said it was deciding on what action to take if he does -- amid speculation it could expel him immediately or arrest him on criminal charges which it says are still outstanding.
In Washington, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Pakistanis would have to decide themselves whether Musharraf should keep his army position.
"Musharraf has made commitments in the past," he said, adding that, first and foremost, the US seeks "free and fair elections."
A senior US official said that Musharraf had "given us assurance that he is going to resolve the issue of the dual leadership, and he is going to do that in the near term."
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