Islamabad: Reaching out to the PPP, President Pervez Musharraf on Friday said he will convene Pakistan's new Parliament within two weeks and promised to fully support the new coalition government led by it.
Musharraf's attempt to cosy up to slain Benazir Bhutto's party came amid talks in the coalition that it could muster two-thirds majority required to take any major step like impeaching him.
Slain former premier Bhutto's PPP is set to form government at the centre with the backing of former premier Nawaz Sharif's PML-N and the Awami National Party, which draws its support from the ethnic Pashtun minority.
The three parties are five seats short of a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament, having won a total of 223 seats in the 342-member National Assembly.
The parties could reach the magic figure following polls to 10 seats that are yet to be held, following which they could impeach the President and scrap his powers to dissolve parliament.
"The national and provincial assemblies sessions will be called in a week or one and a half weeks," Musharraf said in his first public comments since the February 18 polls were won by his rivals.
The victorious parties have been demanding that the president summon the National Assembly so that they can elect their prime minister.
Sharif has been insisting on Musharraf's resignation following the defeat of his supporters, including the PML-Q, in the elections while PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said the new parliament will decide the government's relationship with the President.
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Analysts said Musharraf sensing that political heat may turn on him once the National Assembly is convened, is making last ditch efforts to nudge the PPP to his side.
"I will support the government. I hope the new governments at the centre and in the provinces will complete their five-year constitutional term", the Pakistan President said.
He hoped the new government would continue his regime's economic policies and the campaign against extremism. "I hope they will end chaos and curb extremists and terrorists," he said.
Musharraf rejected the impression that the elections were rigged, saying the whole world had said that the polls were fair, free, transparent and peaceful.
Dismissing reports in a section of the media that he was contemplating resigning, Musharraf said some elements, which "do not care about the country and the people" were trying to create misunderstanding.
According to detailed results for the Feb 18 general election announced late last night by the Election Commission, the PPP has 120 seats, the PML-N 90 seats and the Awami National Party 13 seats.
The PML-Q, which backs Musharraf, is the third largest group in the National Assembly with 51 seats. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has 25 seats, the Muttahida Majlas-e-Amal six seats, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional five seats and the Pakistan People's Party-Sherpao, National People's Party and Balochistan National Party-Awami one seat each. There are also 18 independent lawmakers in the National Assembly.
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