Opposition on Right track

Anti-military parties said on Sunday they had agreed to go into coalition with Right-wing Muslims to form Pakistan’s first civilian government in three years.

Media told not to quote from Pak journalist’s site ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Government has warned the media here against reproducing or quoting reports from the US-based Pakistani online weekend newspaper, South Asia Tribune, run by Pakistani journalist Shaheen Sehbai. Without naming the paper and Sehbai, advertisements placed in local media on Saturday by the Information Department said some newspapers and periodicals reproduced reports from the website. ‘‘These reports are concoctions and fabrications targeted to malign the Government,’’ it said without naming Sehbai, who earlier worked for The News daily but left for US alleging harassment by the government. ‘Doc may hold key to Osama’ Story continues below this ad LONDON: A prominent Pakistani surgeon, who is currently being questioned by US investigators, may hold clues to the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, The Sunday Telegraph said. The arrest of 46-year-old Dr Amir Aziz, a UK-trained orthopaedic surgeon, two weeks ago in Lahore is considered significant by Pakistani intelligence and FBI agents who believe he has treated bin Laden and senior Taliban leaders. Polls were rigged, says Imran DUBAI: Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan has said the recently concluded elections in Pakistan were manipulated and advocated the need for a strong election commissioner to monitor the poll process. “What Pakistan needs is a powerful and independent election commission like India has and what Kashmir needs is the voice of Kashmiri people uninhibited by any coercion to come through. So there is a big difference between the elections in J-K and Pakistan,” he said. (Agencies)

Since elections last month, supporters and opponents of President Pervez Musharraf have wooed a group of Conservative Muslim lawmakers, the Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) with 59 seats, to win a majority in the 342-seat Parliament.

Nawabzada Nasrullah, head of the anti-military Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), said his group would back MMA head Maulana Fazlur Rehman as prime minister.

‘‘We have reached an agreement with the MMA to form the government,’’ Nasrullah said. ‘‘We are in full agreement, including the ARD’s support for Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s election as PM. A formal announcement will be made any time soon.’’

The ARD includes the Pakistan People’s Party of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League faction of Nawaz Sharif, another ex-premier.

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Nasrullah had been authorised to negotiate a coalition. ‘‘If the Nawabzada says the ARD has reached an agreement with the MMA, that is the way it is,’’ he said. ‘‘Nasrullah was asked to mediate with all the parties involved so that some consensus could be reached.’’

Tehmina Daultana, vice-president of Sharif’s party, said the former prime Minister approved Rehman’s bid for the premiership.

‘‘All the members of the ARD and indeed the MMA are united on one simple platform: We are all democratic forces and we would all like to see democracy restored,’’ she said. Rehman said on Saturday the MMA would be in a position to form a coalition with a simple majority with the main ARD parties and some Independents.

‘‘We are very positive,’’ he said. ‘‘According to our latest count, we already have 174 seats,’’ he said.

However, another senior MMA official, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, sowed confusion by holding talks with the pro-military Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) on Saturday, and saying afterwards the two parties were seeking ‘‘middle ground’’.

PML-QA power broker Chaudry Shujaat Hussain appeared in a sombre mood after the meeting but said: ‘‘We shall be able to come to a consensus soon.’’

The PML-QA won the most seats in the election on October 10, but its 103 fell well short of the 172 needed for a majority. It has also tried to woo the MMA, which unexpectedly emerged as a potential coalition maker after riding a wave of anti-Western feeling among voters over the US-led war in Afghanistan.

Talks between the PML-QA and the MMA stalled over the MMA’s insistence that Rehman should lead any future government. (Reuters)