Pakistan's Musharraf flies to Saudi Arabia for talks

Islamabad-President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday departed for Saudi Arabia on a two-day visit for talks with King Abdullah over Pakistan's political crisis and for possible contacts with Pakistani opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, media reports said. Saudi Arabia, where Sharif has lived in exile since General Musharraf ousted him from power in a 1999 coup, has strong ties with Pakistan. The former premier was arrested and deported from his homeland on September 10 during an abortive attempt to end his seven-year absence and lead the opposition against Musharraf. He was deported back to the Gulf state. Sharif was Pakistan's prime minister twice between 1990 and 1999. His Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party is one of several that has threatened to boycott parliamentary elections due in January over Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule on November 3. Pakistan's All-Parties Democratic Movement, which includes the PML-N and an alliance of religious groups, this week decided not to attend a meeting called by the country's election commission to discuss a code of conduct for the polls. Thousands of opposition leaders and activists have been arrested under the emergency, drawing condemnation from the world community. Despite increasing pressure from his chief backers in Washington, Musharraf insisted emergency rule must continue to safeguard voting and to help stem Islamic extremism and terrorism. During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Musharraf was expected also to perform a small pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca.
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As in the days of Noah....