The Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) is close to strike a deal with the military government over its outright support to the referendum which would elect Gen Pervez Musharraf as President for the next five years. The MQM leadership has already announced its partial support to the referendum by allowing its voters to vote if they want to in favour of Gen Musharraf's election.
Perv needs some sort of organized support, so this is probably the best he can buy...
Pakistan Muslim League leaders on Wednesday regretted the language used by President Gen Pervez Musharraf in his speech on Tuesday. Party's central vice-president Tehmina Daultana said it was unbecoming an army chief to solicit votes while in uniform. "It is also a violation of service rules," she said. She said Gen Musharraf was aware that he was so unpopular among the masses that he would not be elected through a constitutional process and had adopted an "unconstitutional" and "illegal" way to perpetuate himself in power.
A switch to a presidential system vice parliamentary changes the dynamic of getting one's hand into the till. The Nawaz and Bhutto factions'll be against it.
The Pakistan People's Party has refuted President Gen Pervez Musharraf's assertions against its chairperson Benazir Bhutto at a public meeting held here on Tuesday to launch his referendum campaign. "This is the last time we are going to answer the allegations levelled by the regime to tarnish Ms Bhutto's image. We understand that the (military) regime is trying to distract us through the mudslinging campaign against politicians and divert public attention away from the real problems," PPP acting secretary-general Raza Rabbani told a news conference here on Wednesday.
Same problem as PML-N. Perv should have tied for an alliance with them - they seem (at least to us outsiders) to be his natural, middle of the road allies.
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Sindh, has termed the holding of referendum in support of the presidency of Gen Pervez Musharraf as unconstitutional and illegal, and said that no government functionary can assume public office. A delegation of MMA, comprising Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda, Maulana Abdul Karim Abid, Maulana Arshad Zahid, Maulana Yusuf Qasuri and Qari Muhammad Usman, that called on Sindh Governor, Mohammedmian Soomro, informed him about their stand and pointed him out that if Gen Musharraf wants to become the President of Pakistan, he should resign from the office of the Chief of Army Staff and wait for two years before seeking election to public office.
We knew Qazi's guys would be against it. Perv is Religious Enemy Numbah 1, even after he springs the Biggies to try and make up.
Anti-Islamic forces particularly the US are employing every tactics to enslave the Muslims around the world. This was stated by World Islamic Mission chairman and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) chief Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani while speaking to a gathering at Pasrur late Tuesday night. He charged that the Musharraf government was playing in the hands of the US and the slogan of liberal Muslims was raised at its beck and call to crush the religious parties. "The foreign interference in our internal affairs has increased alarmingly as several airports have been handed over to them at their discretion", he said.
Not a surprise there. JUP is in the tank with the MML, so he's just another Qazi mouthpiece. |