Islamabad, May 09: A provincial assembly in Pakistan has passed a resolution asking the government to invite self-exiled former premier Benazir Bhutto to take part in the talks on improving relations with India. North West Frontier Province (NWFP) assembly, dominated by the Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlist Amal (MMA), yesterday passed a resolution demanding an early return of Bhutto, who heads the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), from self-exile in Dubai to enable her to participate in the ongoing government-opposition talks on Indo-Pak relations. This followed a meeting between Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and the opposition leaders early this week here to discuss steps to normalise ties with India. The resolution moved jointly by PPP and Awami National Party (ANP) legislator was adopted in the house amid protests from the pro-military Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and its allies. PML-Q heads the coalition government at the Centre. PPP legislators also demanded release of Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari who was in prison for over six years. The house adopted the resolution with majority. Both Benazir and Zardari face a host of corruption cases against them and the government has said Bhutto would be arrested on her return.
The resolution seeking her return followed as an 11-member government-opposition constitutional committee holding talks on the legality of President Pervez Musharraf and his constitutional amendments completed deliberations on the six out of seven contentious issues of the Legal Framework Order (LFO), an administrative order that notified the amendments.
The committee is now likely to discuss the most difficult point, the status of the LFO itself today.
Bureau Report