Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif are sure that the number of anti-President Pervez Musharraf MPs will reach 350 within a week, said a news report. These two leaders have chalked out a “war strategy” to impeach Musharraf after consulting the leadership of the Awami National Party (ANP), the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and members from the tribal areas, the report carried by the leading English language daily The News said. The ruling alliance needs 295 members in a 442-member joint sitting. The coalition leaders claim that they have the support of 303 members at the moment but Zardari is confident that they will secure the support of more than 350 MPs to impeach Musharraf. Zardari and Sharif have formed a “war cabinet” for winning the support of more and more opposition members. Zardari has contacted many opposition senators. Among them were Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri from Balochistan and Senator Salim Saifullah Khan from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Anwar Saifullah Khan, the elder brother of Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, had a meeting with Zardari and assured Zardari that Salim will vote against Musharraf. Zardari has sent a special messenger to London for a meeting with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain. He is sure that as the MQM is their coalition partner in Sindh, something positive may come out of his recent contacts with Hussain. Zardari said: “I will request my brother Altaf Hussain that if he cannot support us, then at least he should remain neutral”. He was also sure that “more than 350 members of parliament will vote against Musharraf”. Sources claimed that Senator Mir Israrullah Zerhri will meet Zardari soon along with five other PML-Q senators. On the other hand, Sharif has also assigned his colleagues to contact PML-Q MPs to vote against Musharraf. PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal claimed that they will secure the support of, at least, 17 PML-Q MPs within a few days. __
