Sharif, Benazir families to bring rivals together

ISLAMABAD, APRIL 20. Notwithstanding the hitches in forging a democratic alliance, the two former Pakistani premiers, Mr. Nawaz Sharif and Ms. Benazir Bhutto's families have reached an understanding to bring the Pakistan Muslim League(PML) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) close to each other to fight for democracy.

``Now the actions will speak louder than the words,'' the Pakistani daily, The News quoted a PML leader as saying on Wednesday. ``We are engaged in this process to bring close step by step one-time arch rivals and the two national level parties under one umbrella, and naturally we are facing resistance from within the parties as well as behind-the- scenes activities of the present regime's sleuths who desperately want to see both parties poles apart,'' he said.

Insiders believe that serious efforts are on to bring together the two parties after their leaderships were convinced that they were the prime targets of the military regime. Recently the PML was saved from the brink of a split just two days after its leader, Mr. Sharif, was jailed for life in the plane hijacking case, while the PPP is finding it difficult to move ahead in the absence of its chairperson, Ms. Bhutto, who is on a self-exile in London, according to the paper.

Statement flayed

Meanwhile, the PML flayed the reported statement by the military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf that the bus diplomacy and the Lahore declaration were nothing but an attempt to dodge masses, saying the exercise was part of a process to normalise relations between the two countries.

``If the bus diplomacy was just a fraud and eyewash then why is Gen. Musharraf offering dialogue to India on every national and international forum,'' a spokesman of the party wondered.

Bomb blast

At Mansura, about 15 km south of Lahore, a bomb exploded today outside the headquarters of Pakistan's right wing religious party, Jamaat-E-Islami, police said. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Jamaat-E- Islami is a small but powerful party that is considered the best organised among the religious parties in Pakistan.

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Section  : International
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