Re: How united is the ‘joint-opposition’?
Despite her anti-military rhetoric in public Benazir has been talking to the generals ever since Musharraf seized power in 1999, but he has never agreed to let her be PM again. Now that she knows Musharraf’s position is unassailable, and he is not going anywhere she is ready to cut a deal with the govt and ditch Nawaz. She does not want to repeat the mistakes of 2002 when she stopped Fahim becoming PM, and wants to ensure that her party at least get’s a leading share after 2007.
Of course she will meet Nawaz and say everything is ok, and deny talks with the govt, but we know that on multiple occassions before she has cut deals with the military. In 1988 she came to power after making a deal with Zia’s generals, and in 1993 when she was brought to the General Headquarters in a military helicopter to plot against Nawaz.