ISLAMABAD, 14 November 2002 — President Pervez Musharraf yesterday set a new date for the inauguration of Pakistan’s first Parliament since his 1999 coup, summoning legislators elected five weeks ago to sit on Saturday.
While the announcement brings a partial end to the political limbo Pakistan has been locked in since Oct. 10 poll, it did not immediately appear to herald a breakthrough in monthlong efforts by parties to form a governing coalition.
"The first session of the National Assembly has been called for Saturday, Nov. 16 at 11:00 a.m.," government spokesman Akram Shaheedi told reporters, as state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) interrupted an evening news bulletin to broadcast the announcement.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, the chief pro-Musharraf party, is the largest party in Parliament with 103 of its 342 seats, followed by PPP on 81 seats. An Islamic alliance of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal won a surprise 59 seats and holds the balance of power.
A spokesman for the PML-Q, Azeem Chaudhary, said the party was "close to signing an agreement with MMA after reaching an understanding with them over the constitutional amendments." Islamists and an alliance of pro-regime parties led by the PML-Q had earlier attempted to bridge differences over Musharraf’s constitutional changes, the major stumbling block in coalition-building efforts.
MMA vice president Qazi Hussain Ahmed said the Islamists and a PML-Q-dominated alliance of pro-Musharraf parties had not reached any conclusive agreement over the key amendments, despite day and night talks since late last week. (AFP)
