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Musharraf plans to extend rule as
parties fail to reach consensus

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Even as talks between parties failed to make any headway in Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf was reportedly contemplating moving the supreme court to seek a further extension of the military rule.

"A new scenario started emerging last week in which Musharraf may go back to the supreme court to seek a further extension of his military rule, at least at the centre if not the provinces," the latest edition of portal South Asia Tribune, edited by Pakistani journalist Shaheen Sehbai, has said.

It said the general's "desperation was evident from his meetings with politicians, specially his Sunday's hilltop rendezvous with Makhdoom Amin Fahim of the Pakistan People's Party".

The report said this reflected the fact that the regime was "running out of options as the pressure for calling the assembly mounted from all sides..."

The prospect of forming a coalition government by the constituents of the Alliance of Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of six religious parties, dimmed as ARD chairman Nawabzada Nasullah Khan failed to get the backing of MMA leaders during his talks with them on Wednesday.

The ARD comprises of 15 political parties and groups, which includes Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) headed by exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharief.

The MMA told the ARD that any move to form the government will depend on the outcome of the talks between Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) leader Shujaat Hussain and the regime about the controversial constitutional amendments brought in by Musharraf.

MMA, PPPP and PML-Q leaders asked Hussain to take up the issue with Musharraf to get some concessions on the amendments.

The PPPP and the MMA are opposed to Musharraf's constitutional amendments, while the PML-Q is favourably disposed towards them.

The regime and the PPPP came close to clinching a deal over forming the government last week, but the talks ended abruptly when the military officials refused to withdraw corruption charges against Bhutto.

More reports from Pakistan

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