Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said on Sunday that it might woo President Musharraf's allies to join a coalition government that could drive him from power. PPP has already teamed up with PML-N but says it is considering to work with MQM.
If a PPP-led coalition manages to muster a two-thirds majority in parliament, it could seek to remove Musharraf, either by impeaching him or having his election as president last year declared illegal. PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP that his party was in talks with MQM. "The Pakistan People's Party wants to take all political forces along to form the government and is discussing the possibility of co-operating with the MQM," Babar said.
"Consultations are going on within the party and there are different opinions about whether to cooperate with MQM or not, but nothing has been finalised," Babar said.
HE REFUSED TO REVEAL THE COALITION'S PLANS FOR MUSHARRAF:
Musharraf is seen in Washington as a bulwark against terrorism, and officials in the administration of US President George W. Bush say they hope to keep working with him.
Nawaz, however, has widely criticised US support for Musharraf, and his party's spokesman Siddique-ul Farooq told AFP on Sunday that Washington was urging the PPP not to remove Musharraf. "There is a lot of back-channel diplomatic pressure on PPP to join hands with PML-Q as the Bush administration does not want Musharraf's ouster," he said. "But the people of Pakistan will never forgive any deviation of their verdict now," he added.