Musharraf/Bhutto Shotgun Wedding
How long is this marriage going to last? :p
Bhutto will immediately distance herself from the corrupt and unpopular general. Washington, worried about a resurgent Taliban and out-of-control Northwest region, has played the anxious but forceful match-maker, much to the dislike of Pakistanis.
Sharif, however, has drawn the stink card and cannot return, even though he is once again Pakistan's most popular politician!
Quote:
Musharraf, Bhutto Reach Tentative Deal to Let Her Return With Amnesty
Friday, October 5, 2007; 10:58 AM
ISLAMABAD,
Pakistan, Oct. 5 -- President Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto reached a tentative deal designed to give his election more credibility and allow her to return to Pakistan without facing corruption charges, officials on both sides said Friday.
As part of the deal, which followed months of seesaw negotiations, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Musharraf signed a law that grants amnesty to Bhutto and other former politicians from corruption charges, the Associated Press reported...
The United States has been quietly facilitating the negotiations, hoping that Musharraf and Bhutto -- both considered moderates -- can join forces to battle a rising tide of radicalism in the country's northwest.
The amnesty deal apparently does not include former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who returned from exile last month only to be deported four hours later. He was convicted on charges in 2000, and government officials say that those convictions still stand.
washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines
Quote:
'Sharif most popular leader in Pakistan'
Exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has become the most popular leader in Pakistan in the wake of Bhutto-Musharraf rendezvous, according to the country's intelligence agencies.
"Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's desperation to clinch a 'power-sharing deal' with President Pervez Musharraf has made Sharif the most popular leader in Pakistan," a senior government official told
The News, quoting recent reports prepared by the intelligence agencies.
According to the official, Sharif's recent victory over the government in the Supreme Court - which allowed the deposed Premier and his brother Shahbaz to return to Pakistan after seven years in 'forced' exile -- has also helped in the rise of his popularity graph.
"If he returns to the country according to his announced schedule, he would get an unprecedented reception, particularly in the Punjab province. But, if Sharif fails to fly back home as hinted by some ruling party leaders, his ascendancy would vanish," the unnamed official said.
'Sharif most popular leader in Pakistan' - Yahoo! India News
