Musharraf signs National Reconciliation Ordinance

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday signed the National Reconciliation Ordinance, a local TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.

With the approval of the federal cabinet and signature of Musharraf, the National Reconciliation Ordinance is now ready for promulgation, the DAWN NEWS report said.

The ordinance will grant amnesty to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto but not Nawaz Sharif, according to DAWN NEWS.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and its coalition partners on Tuesday endorsed the ordinance, according to which the government would grant amnesty to all those who had held public offices between 1988 and 1999 and against whom corruption cases were pending.

However, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said that some of its demands were not met in the ordinance and the talks between PPP and the government on a power-sharing deal stalled in London on Wednesday.

The draft of the ordinance was exchanged several times between the government and PPP, which made some changes to the draft of the ordinance and sent it back to the government on Thursday.

Pak federal cabinet approves draft of National Reconciliation Ordinance

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The federal cabinet of Pakistan approved the draft of National Reconciliation Ordinance on Friday, local TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.

The ordinance will await President Pervez Musharraf's assent, the DAWN NEWS report said, adding that Musharraf is likely to promulgate the ordinance later Friday. Full story

Pakistani gov't, opposition endorse national reconciliation ordinance

The Pakistani Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday said there was no hurdle in talks with chairperson of Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto and everything was going in right direction.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto speaks to the media at a house in London October 4, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government and the opposition People's Party (PPP) approved the National Reconciliation Ordinance at the midnight of Thursday, a local newspaper DAWN reported on Friday.

Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister and chairwoman of PPP, accepted the revised draft of National Reconciliation Ordinance late Thursday night, a senior PPP leader Farooq Naik was quoted as saying. Full story