ISLAMABAD, July 29: President Gen Pervez Musharraf asked Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Pakistan Muslim League-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain here on Tuesday to strike a “package deal” with the opposition to resolve all contentious issues.

“President Musharraf’s attitude was not hard nor did he sound inflexible on any issue but has asked us to strike a package deal with the opposition so that all issues are settled once for all,” said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Talking to Dawn after a three-hour-long meeting, he said the president had called for creating consensus so that the parliament could function and democracy flourished.

He said the president had also directed Mr Sharifuddin Pirzada, who was also present during the meeting, to help the government on various constitutional matters.

The secretary to the proposed National Security Council (NSC), Mr Tariq Aziz, also attended the meeting.

Mr Shujaat said during the next round of talks, expected next week, the government would place before the opposition various options to remove differences over the Legal Framework Order (LFO). “But, so far, we believe that LFO is a settled issue while the opposition does not think so,” he said. Legal issues hampered a quick resolution of the LFO controversy as desired by the opposition, he remarked.

The PML-Q leader was asked whether the government had given any assurance to the opposition as was claimed by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman that President Musharraf would take off his military uniform in October 2004. “Although the president is inclined to resolve the issue of his military uniform through a package deal, so far, no cutoff date has been indicated by the government or Gen Musharraf,” he said.

Mr Shujaat further said that there were various options discussed with the president regarding 58(2)(B), including the dismissal of the cabinet rather than dissolution of the National Assembly. Another option, he pointed out, was that the president should refer the dissolution of the assembly or the sacking of the prime minister to the Supreme Court.

On the NSC, President Musharraf believed that it could serve as a strong institution to keep a check on the president, the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, he said. “But then the president says that if it is not acceptable then the issue could be left to the politicians,” he further said, adding that the president was ready to concede on NSC only to forge consensus between the government and the opposition. “But then the NSC issue could also be resolved through a package deal,” the PML-Q chief observed.

Talking about the appointment of the next army chief, he said the issue should be left to the president and that if the COAS was required to be appointed on the advice of the prime minister, it would create problems. “It will be politicised as had happened in the past and after having discussed this issue with the president, we now will ask the opposition not to insist on the appointment of the army chief on the advice of the prime minister,” said Mr Shujaat, who is also the parliamentary leader of the ruling party in the National Assembly.

In reply to a question, he said the issue regarding the retirement of judges of the superior judiciary was not a very serious matter and that there could be some agreement with the opposition on it.

However, he said, it could take some time to remove differences with the opposition. “But then we are hopeful that eventually we all will agree on bringing an amendment in the Constitution to resolve the controversy over the LFO,” Mr Shujaat said.

He termed the meeting with the president positive.

CONFUSING STATEMENTS: Other sources privy to Tuesday’s meeting between the president, the prime minister and the PML-Q chief said they also discussed the confusing statements by the government functionaries and the MMA leaders about the president’s decision to doff the uniform.