No political future for Sharif, Benazir in Pakistan: Musharraf

Expressing satisfaction with Musharraf's frank assessment of the performance of the ruling political combine, the National Assembly members were quoted by The News as saying that they were pleased with the sound assurances given by the president to several of their grievances.

According to the paper, however, Musharraf did express his displeasure with the performance of the PML (Q) both within and outside Parliament on major issues since November 2002, and is said to have issued certain guidelines to his political lieutenants in the National Assembly.

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He said to have particularly emphasised on the ruling MNAs failure to defend his policies to counter terrorism, particularly the military operation in the WANA. Musharraf is said to have complained that the opposition parties' point of view on all such issues had been prominently reflected.

Sources said that Musharraf clearly hinted at activating the recently unified PML at grass roots level to develop its "ideological base", also made it clear to all that time had come to take the unified PML to the masses from traditional "drawing rooms".

Musharraf did not utter a single word about any change in the present political set-up of the country as was being widely speculated until recently.