Former PMs meet to discuss Musharraf, al Qaida

Описание: (20 Oct 2006) SHOTLIST
1. Benazir Bhutto arriving at Nawaz Sharif's home
2. Bhutto and Sharif greet each other and pose for cameras
3. Bhutto and Sharif walk inside
4. Various of meeting
5. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Benazir Bhutto, Former Pakistan Prime Minister:
++NON VERBATIM TRANSLATION++
(Question: Are you doing deals with Musharraf (President of Pakistan)
"There is nothing new in these reports. They have been going on for the past seven years."
(Question: So are you doing deals with him?)
"My press spokesman has already issued a statement on this subject."
6. Sharif listening
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Benazir Bhutto, Former Pakistan Prime Minister:
"I'd like to go back to Pakistan before the next general elections. The sooner I can go back the better, but the optimum date that I am keeping in mind is between now and next fall, because the Parliament will be dissolved in November and elections will be held by February. So I will obviously have to go back before November."
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nawaz Sharif, Former Pakistan Prime Minister:
"Musharraf says that he will not allow Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to come back to Pakistan but I think he is just fooling himself. He talks about free and fair elections but at the same time he also says he will not allow both the leaders to come back to Pakistan to participate in the elections. So we will go, it is our country, and we will participate in the elections."
9. Wide of meeting, Bhutto being interviewed
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Benazir Bhutto, Former Pakistan Prime Minister:
"I repeat that there's been no agreement with General Musharraf."
(Question: No agreement, but no negotiations?)
"Our people meet all the time in the Parliament. I think that their people and our people, we have worked together on the women's bill, so there might be contacts, yes, but contacts is different than having an agreement."
11. Sharif and Bhutto enter news conference
12. Reporters asking questions
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Benazir Bhutto, Former Pakistan Prime Minister: "I am deeply concerned about the regrouping and reorganisation of the Taliban in the tribal areas of Pakistan. And as a Pakistani I feel deeply concerned about reports that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is suspected to be holed up in the tribal belt between Afghanistan and Pakistan."
14. Bhutto and Sharif leave news conference
STORYLINE
Two former Pakistani prime ministers met in London Thursday to discuss ways of unseating the country's current president, General Pervez Musharraf, in parliamentary elections due this winter.
Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif - who both live in exile in Britain - talked for more than two at Sharif's residence.
Both politicians agreed they wanted to return to Pakistan to contest the elections, despite running the risk of arrest.
"Musharraf says that he will not allow Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to come back to Pakistan but I think he is just fooling himself. He talks about free and fair elections but at the same time he also says he will not allow both the leaders to come back to Pakistan to participate in the elections. So we will go, it is our country, and we will participate in the elections," Sharif said.
But their display of unity was overshadowed by Pakistani media reports suggesting Bhutto has held secret negotiations with Musharraf - despite an earlier agreement that neither she nor Sharif would do so.
The reports said Bhutto discussed the upcoming elections with Musharraf and sought assurances she would not be arrested if she returned to Pakistan.
Sharif was overthrown by Musharraf in a military coup in 1999.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


#Bhutto #Sharif #Benazir
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...