President Pervez Musharraf has admitted that he's negotiating with all political outfits in Pakistan, including the parties of former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, in order to achieve stability in the country and get re-elected peacefully, a daily reported on Tuesday.
"To get political stability in the country, talks and contacts with all political parties, including Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, are underway. I will not let my eight years of hard work to turn Pakistan into a prosperous nation go waste," The News quoted Musharraf as saying in Islamabad.
The president hoped that keeping in contact with all the political parties would also help him to get re-elected in military uniform peacefully for another five-year term from the incumbent Assemblies "according to the Constitution and the laws" of the Islamic nation.
Reiterating that he would take the decision to doff his military uniform in accordance with the country's law, Musharraf said, "The Constitution permits me to remain in uniform by the end of the current year. But, the opposition would get an answer in this respect soon."
He, however, said that deposed ex-premier Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz should abide by the 'exile' pact according to which they're supposed to stay out of the country for at least 10 years, but refused to confirm whether his emissaries were in London to negotiate a deal with them.
Stressing the need for unity between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and its coalition parties, Musharraf said that they should solve their differences with mutual understanding instead of highlighting them in the media which might give the opposition an edge in the upcoming elections.
The president has again assured that free, fair and transparent general elections would he held on time.