Pakistan anti-military alliance takes shape

Some party members don't want allies

By Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad

Some members of deposed Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League party have decided to join an opposition alliance opposed to the military regime.

The move was made by several leading party members at an informal meeting in the party's main office in Islamabad.

However, in order to avoid a split in the party, the formal decision has been left to the party's central working committee, which is meeting in Islamabad next week.

The meeting was chaired by Raja Zafarul Haq

Thursday's meeting was not a formal party forum and was the first sign of a clear division within the Muslim League.

The gathering resembled a pressure group to send a signal to those within the party opposed to the idea of an alliance with other opposition groups, particularly Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.

Dissent

It was chaired by the party's chief co-ordinator, Raja Zafarul Haq, and was attended by Nawaz Sharif's wife, Kulsoom and many other senior party members.

But those opposed to the idea had either not been invited or had decided to stay away.

Those who attended the meeting were almost unanimous in their view that there was a need for a joint struggle by all the opposition groups in order to press the military regime into holding early elections.

Some of the participants, however, opposed the idea of a formal alliance with Ms Bhutto's party, or with any of the other groups.

Formal meeting

Raja Zafarul Haq later told reporters they supported the idea of greater co-operation among the opposition groups.

They were also not opposed to the idea of having such a relationship with the PPP, he said.

But a final decision in this regard would be taken by the party's central working committee.

Some senior members of the party said privately that the decision to avoid a formal alliance with the PPP might satisfy some of the party dissidents.

This could save the party from a formal split when its leadership meets in Islamabad next week.