Pakistan:Power-sharing talks between Pakistan's embattled president Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto have stalled but political compulsions are likely to push both back to the table, analysts said.
Gen Musharraf and self-exiled two-time prime minister Ms Bhutto have been sounding each other out for years but with Gen Musharraf's terms as both president and army chief due to end soon, they have intensified efforts to reach an agreement.
But Ms Bhutto said in London on Saturday the talks had stalled and she planned to return to Pakistan soon even without an deal. She will announce details of her return on September 14th.
Any agreement would likely see Gen Musharraf stepping down as army chief before he stands for another term between mid-September and mid-October, while clearing the way for Ms Bhutto, who still faces graft charges, to return to politics and take part in general elections due at the end of the year.
The two are natural allies, both opposed to Islamist militancy and in favour of free-market reforms.
The West would like to see co-operation between moderates in the nuclear-armed country on the front line of the fight against al-Qaeda and vital to tackling the Taliban in Afghanistan. But with Gen Musharraf's popularity plummeting, Pakistan is facing the risk of turmoil.
- (Reuters)