LAHORE, Nov 27: Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto can return to the country and contest the next elections, but there is a constitutional bar on her becoming prime minister, said Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Monday.

However, he refused to accord equal generosity to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who, he said, could neither return home nor stand for election for at least 10 years.

Speaking to Dawn at his Gulberg residence, Mr Hussain said the electoral process would remain unaffected even if the two former prime ministers – both in self-exile – stayed away from it. Their parties, he added, would take part in the elections. Mr Hussain’s comments come at a time when political analysts expect a give-and-take reconciliation between the government and the PPP following the latter’s wholehearted support for the bill amending the heavily criticised Hudood laws.

The ruling PML president feared that the government would be forced to hold early elections if Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal legislators carried out their threat to resign from the National Assembly en bloc.

But he hastened to add that the PML was prepared to take part in an election at any time.

While he requested the MMA to allow the assemblies to complete their constitutional term, he asserted that the religious alliance would not be allowed to take out a procession from Lahore to Gujrat on Nov 30 in an attempt to put pressure on him to resign from the National Assembly.

He explained that the Punjab government had placed a ban on processions, recalling that some time back the PML had been denied permission to hold a rally to celebrate the passage of the Protection of Women Bill from parliament.

“If the ruling party is not allowed to hold rallies, how could permission be given to an opposition party?”

Chaudhry Shujaat said the ruling PML would support Gen Musharraf’s bid for another term as president.