Benazir-Nawaz meeting a make-or-break development

In its tone and tenor the Benazir-Nawaz meeting in London on Thursday was too polite and too matter-of-fact to fit into the definition of a make-or-break development. Yet, it did two important things: one, it established Sheikh Rashid a confirmed misinformer; and two, it conveyed that instead of taking to the street the ARD will fight its battle at the hustings.
Thanks to a concerted misinformation campaign-it was concerted to the extent that even President Musharraf at his "interaction" with media men last week did not deny contacts with the PPP leadership-launched through media and word of mouth the government had quite succeeded in convincing the people that a "deal" has been cut with Ms Bhutto, consequent to which the PPP is ready to accept some responsibility in the present system. That having achieved the establishment would see to it that she would be installed as prime minister of the government to be formed following the 2007 elections, the campaigners said.
The disinformation campaign caused quite a stir, so much so that a person of Raja Zafarul Haq's experience got jittery over the reported deal and warned that should Ms Bhutto not come clean on it the London meet would be the last.
Naturally, most of the questions Benazir Bhutto faced in London were centred on the report of the deal or back channel contacts. Her response was realistic: she did not deny contacts, which are not unusual in a situation like this, but firmly denied any deal with the government.
On the very face of it Benazir Bhutto should be the last person to cut a deal with Pervez Musharraf, for at least two good reasons. First, General Musharraf, in his book, has spared no word in demonising her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in his book, calling him a fascist and holding him exclusively responsible for the break-up of Pakistan.
Second, President Musharraf not only ensured a constitutional ban on her return to power but has repeatedly avowed that she, along with Nawaz Sharif, would never ever be allowed to join the electoral race to power. If somebody had not heard him before he said so, in the most unambiguous words, most recently at the media encounter.
To this both Benazir and Nawaz Sharif have responded that come what may they would be here in Pakistan at the time of elections to lead their parties at the hustings.
The second important message that emanated from the London meeting says that while the ARD very much shares the MMA's objective to see an early end to the present ruling dispensation, that sharing stops at that. In fact, the MMA has been told that the so-called combined opposition has come to the fork from where they would take different roads. Grand national alliance or common election strategy or things of that kind with the religious alliance have been effectively ruled out.
The exiled leaders' refusal to join agitation against the government seems to stem from their belief that no amount of street pressure can force exit of a military junta. In fact, they might have thought that in the name of controlling chaos and anarchy the President would impose martial law.
But that throws a major challenge to President Pervez Musharraf. Obviously, he would never like to be the candidate of the MMA for the top slot, if such an offer is made at all. The only option available to him in that situation will be sticking to his present allies and not let that coalition splinter up into contending factions.