Islamabad, Sept 17: Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has sought two days time to decide on the key demand of the Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal that President Pervez Musharraf should quit as army chief by 2004. After a meeting with Jamali over Musharraf's constitutional amendments, which went on till late last night, MMA leaders said they have agreed to his request to give a two-day reprieve for finalising the constitutional package, including a decision on their demand that Musharraf quit as Chief of Army by December next year. "We have sought two days for our consultations from the MMA which has been granted. We will have some good news to tell the nation after two days," Jamali told reporters after the talks.

A decision was expected to be announced after his meeting with Musharraf to get his approval on the proposals the two sides were thought to have formulated. The meeting between Jamali and MMA leaders was held despite statements from Musharraf and the premier himself during the past few days that the President would quit the post of army chief at a date of his choice and would not agree for a deadline as it would set a process of countdown for him to quit.

Though both sides claimed to have achieved a breakthrough in yesterday's talks, there was no agreement on the issue as Musharraf himself has to give his concurrence to the proposals, which included quitting as Chief of Army and scaling down his presidential powers incorporated in the legal framework order issued by him last year. Bureau Report