Musharraf calls nazims to UAE

ISLAMABAD - After winning unshaken support of PML-Q, MQM and Danial Aziz, embattled nazims will now have Musharrafs pat on their back, as the former president has called district & tahsil nazims to have an exclusive meeting with him in Abu Dhabi in the next few days, TheNation reliably learnt on Tuesday. The sources close to former president told TheNation that Musharraf had invited a number of nazims from across the country to Abu Dhabi where a meeting would take place on the governments move of scrapping the existing local government system. Former president after concluding his visit to Saudi Arabia would stay for some days in the UAE where he would have consultations with nazims as well as PML-Q leaders from both Chaudhrys and Chattha camps, said the sources. Musharrafs aides say that in the meeting with the representatives of district governments, former president would assure them his full support inside the country and at the international fora. The other factor behind this meeting is to win the support of nazims for Musharrafs future intentions to enter into national politics, said the sources, adding that according to Musharrafs aides those nazims for being influential in their respective districts could be useful for the former presidents political ambitions. The sources said that Musharrafs focal persons in Pakistan including Major General (Retd) Rashid Qureshi and Barrister Muhammad Saif were extending invitations to the nazims. The invitations have not only been extended to nazims, but also to many PML-Q leaders both from Chaudhrys and Chattha camps, said the sources. On the other hand, PML-Q is seeing the whole move with scepticism and Ch Pervaiz Elahi, who has the support of the majority of district nazims in Punjabm, has asked his men to stay away from Musharraf and his invitation. PML-Q is already pleading local governments case wholeheartedly at all the fora, therefore, district nazims having affiliation with PML-Q need not Musharrafs support in their cause, said a PML-Q leader seeking not to be attributed. Talking to TheNation, District Nazim Bahawalpur, Tariq Basheer Cheema, said that he had listened about such upcoming meeting but he had not been invited by Musharraf. I have good relations with Chaudhry brothers and need not support of the former president to carry on struggle for the existing local government system, he added.