Backchannel diplomacy re-started yesterday with the departure for London of Tariq Aziz, secretary of the National Security Council, for a final round of talks with Pakistan PeopleÂ’s Party (PPP) Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto to win her support for the forthcoming presidential polls by making constitutional amendments to remove legal hurdles for President Gen Pervez MusharrafÂ’s re-election. According to the proposals in Mr AzizÂ’s pocket, the president is ready to shed his uniform after the presidential polls. In exchange he would seek the PPPÂ’s support for amendments in the Constitution to remove hurdles in the path of his re-election from the current assemblies. But whether they can sell this to Ms Bhutto remains a moot question. Her main concern will be to make sure that she is not seen to be making any deals with an unpopular president in which the people of Pakistan donÂ’t get anything. At the very least she is likely to insist that he take off his uniform, give general amnesty from all criminal or corruption charges to all politicians including the Sharifs, and remove the ban on being prime minister for a third time. She may pave the way for his becoming president from the current assemblies but still refuse to vote for him while he is still in uniform.