Shahbaz, the President of PML(N), dashed to Islamabad on Saturday for a day-long visit during which he held separate meetings with Brig (retired) Niaz Ahmad, a close aide of Musharraf, Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadhi Al Asseri and Wajahat Latif, former chief of Federal Investigation Agency.

PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal had denied reports of contacts between the military regime and the party, saying Shahbaz was meeting Ahmad as the latter was a close friend and was unwell.

Dawn, however, quoted sources as saying that Ahmad had passed on a message from Musharraf to Shahbaz “about the formation of a national Government before the general election”.

Sources in the PML(N) said Musharraf had suggested that Shahbaz should “become a part of the proposed Government.”

They said Musharraf had also proposed a “future role” for Shahbaz after the February 18 parliamentary polls.

Shahbaz told Ahmad that he would not reply to the proposals without consulting his brother, the sources said.

This was the second meeting between Shahbaz and Ahmad last week. Neither side would confirm or deny that they had met earlier.

Speculation about negotiations between the PML(N) and the regime increased as Shahbaz also met the ambassador of Saudi Arabia, which played a key role in the return of the Sharif brothers to Pakistan from exile in November.

The sources also said Ahmad had requested the Sharif brothers to “soften the language” against Musharraf at their public meetings.

Ahmad, a former instructor to Musharraf, has been negotiating with PML(N) and PPP leaders for the past few yearsand had held several meeting with the Sharif brothers while they were in exile in London and Saudi Arabia.

A group of reporters caught Shahbaz on Saturday outside the residence of the retired brigadier when he was leaving after their meeting.

Shahbaz said free and fair elections were unlikely as the Government was making “every effort” to rig them by carrying out “massive transfers” of Government officials after the announcement of the election schedule. He called for the reconstitution of the Election Commission.