Musharraf may quit army to seal Bhutto deal

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ISLAMABAD, July 30 (AFP): Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf may hang up his army uniform to pave the way for a pact with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto after the pair met in Abu Dhabi, a minister said Monday.
Military ruler Musharraf and Bhutto met in the Gulf emirate Friday for talks on a possible power-sharing deal but could not reach an understanding on two key issues, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi told the news agency.
The sticking points were the issue of Musharraf's dual role as president and army chief and a bar that prevents Bhutto having a third term as premier, Niazi said.
Bhutto, who has lived in self-imposed exile in London and Dubai since 1998 due to corruption claims against her, insisted Sunday she would not strike a power-sharing deal with Musharraf so long as he remained the army chief.
"The two met in Abu Dhabi Friday to hammer out a political understanding so that moderate forces can join hands to defeat extremists in the coming general elections," Niazi said.
He said he believed that Musharraf "would be willing to shed his uniform if he has the PPP (Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party) and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League behind him."