Islamabad, Apr. 13 : Deciding to play safe on the issue of signing a deal with the Taliban to impose a sharia law in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of the country, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has sent the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, 2009 to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to table it before Parliament.

Zardari's move clearly suggests that he alone does not want to be held responsible for the controversial deal with the banned Taliban. If the deal backfires, it will be Parliament that would have to take responsibility for it.

Zardari's move has surprised Gilani and other top political leaders of the country.

Political leaders are confused on what to do regarding the issue.

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) are still undecided whether to support the act or oppose it.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Babar Awan was particularly against Zardari signing the deal, and it was he who advised him to table the regulation before Parliament approval or rejection.

According to The News, Awan wanted Nawaz Sharif to sign the deal so that in future neither he nor his party could criticize the Pakistan Peoples' Party for the move.

Tabling the regulation before Parliament is a significant political step taken by the President, as his close aides believe that if the PML-N backs the deal in parliament, it would lose sympathy and support in Washington and London.

"Let's see how the US now convince their new friend Nawaz Sharif not to sign the deal in parliament," a Zardari's aide argued. (ANI)