Re: ‘Deal done’ - Benazir agrees to Musharraf’s re-election in uniform
Makhdoom Amin Fahim seems to have been tossed aside by BB in her desperate quest to get back near the top.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=66184
**Rehman replaces Fahim as Benazir’s most trusted aide **
Emerging as the ‘deal broker’ in Benazir-Musharraf talks on Friday in Abu Dhabi, ex-DG FIA Rehman Malik has replaced Makhdoom Amin Fahim who has been the most trusted political lieutenant of Benazir Bhutto since 2002. According to insiders, one reason behind dumping Fahim at this critical stage is that Benazir does not want to give any chance to Musharraf to choose a politician from her home province Sindh as the future prime minister, as he had done in 2002. This time she seems to have given a loud message to Musharraf that, when the situation arises, he has to choose only her as the future prime minister. Contrary to media reports that Fahim was with Benazir in Abu Dhabi, the gentleman politician is in London. Fahim has switched off his mobile phone to avoid a flurry of calls from his friends from Pakistan and London after the news of Benazir-Musharraf meeting went on air. Sources said that in the recent past after Rehman Malik took over the role of top “adviser and broker” of Benazir on important matters ranging from politics to business, Fahim seems to have become an “obsolete political commodity.” Meanwhile, top party sources have confirmed to The News that after receiving an urgent message from Islamabad that Musharraf wanted to meet her to discuss a power-sharing formula, Benazir took Rehman Malik along to Abu Dhabi and, much to the chagrin of Fahim, asked him to stay back in London as he was not needed there in these negotiations.
Sources believe that as a part of new political strategy, Benazir seems to have brought Rehman to the forward position in recognition of his “unexplored political abilities” to have direct access to the close friends of Musharraf and deal with them according to the wishes and priorities of Benazir. The “pragmatic and practical” approach of Rehman seems to have convinced Benazir to solely depend upon his “wisdom”, instead of a veteran politician like Amin Fahim, who according to her assessment could not deliver according to her wishes. Rehman on the other hand seems to have delivered on many counts for Benazir after both also developed some business understanding. Rehman has certainly left many close aides of Benazir far behind to win her confidence. Interestingly, many top party leaders are found standing in front of Rehman Malik’s house waiting for an entry to meet Benazir, have been forced to seek the “favours and goodwill” of Rehman to stay close to Benazir. **In 2002 Amin Fahim was authorised by Benazir to meet the military generals and his spy masters to explore possibilities of some kind of deal that could ensure her return to Pakistan and immediate scrapping of all corruption cases against her, both within and outside Pakistan. However, Musharraf outsmarted the gentleman politician and rather dictated his own terms and conditions. Instead of obliging Benazir, he offered to elevate Fahim as the prime minister and his son as the chief minister Sindh. This was not to the liking of Benazir and she scrapped the deal being negotiated at that time. ** Sources said, Fahim was useful for the Benazir camp when Asif Ali Zardari was in jail in Pakistan, as he was the man who used to meet military generals and spy masters of the Musharraf regime to bring about some kind of adjustments between the two camps. Fahim was calling the shots in Benazir’s absence from Pakistan and Zardari in jail. All the military men used to contact Fahim to exchange messages with Benazir or Asif Zardari. But with the changing environment, he too seems to have lost his political utility for Benazir who has found a new adviser and deal broker in the person of Rehman Malik.