Islamic Allies in Pakistan Fail in Talks for Coalition By CARLOTTA GALL
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 18 — An alliance of Pakistani Islamic parties said today that its demands for a reduction in President Pervez Musharraf's powers had kept it from reaching agreement with the pro-Musharraf party on forming a governing coalition in Parliament.
The six-party alliance, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, issued a statement tonight after talks with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid broke off without an agreement.
The alliance had demanded the reversal of constitutional amendments introduced by General Musharraf this year, including one that allows him to dismiss Parliament. The group had also demanded that General Musharraf resign from his post as army chief of staff, which he holds as well as that of president.
"We have to say this with disappointment that our efforts were not successful," the alliance said.
While saying contacts with the pro-Musharraf party had not ended, Hafiz Hussein Ahmed, deputy secretary general of the alliance, added, "I think we could not convince each other on our respective points of view."
The Islamic alliance has refused to give up on its choice for prime minister, the pro-Taliban Muslim cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has opposed the American campaign against terror, General Musharaff's policy of cooperation with the United States and the presence of American troops in Pakistan. Mr. Rehman was held under house arrest for several months at the height of the war in Afghanistan.
Five weeks ago, the Islamic alliance unexpectedly won 60 seats in a parliamentary election. This week it emerged as the main power broker in forming a government, as the pro-Musharraf Muslim League cast about for enough partners to form a majority in Parliament.
The Muslim League is the largest party, with 118 seats, but it needs at least 168 to form a government. Even with a number of small parties and independents on board, it has not yet managed to gain that many.
If it proves unable to, the largest opposition party — the Pakistan People's Party, headed by Benazir Bhutto, the exiled former prime minister — could with 81 seats conceivably form its own coalition.
In meetings last week with the pro-Musharraf party, the Bhutto party failed to find common ground. It then began discussions with the Islamic alliance, which were in turn suspended as the alliance began talks with General Musharraf's supporters.
The Bhutto party will now retest the waters with the alliance, an alliance spokesman said today. To succeed, it will have to win back 13 Bhutto legislators who said last week that they were breaking ranks to back a pro-Musharraf government.