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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Musharraf is urged to quit |
| 2004-09-18 |
| KARACHI: President Pervez Musharraf would be violating the constitution if he reneged on his pledge to step down as army chief later this year, a former chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court said yesterday. Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, had promised to give up his military post by December 31 under a deal with the six-party Islamic alliance of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). Information Minister Sheikh Rashid had announced on Wednesday that Musharraf would not stand down as army chief but he clarified a day later that he meant to say he hoped the president would retain command of the armed forces. "He will be violating the constitution if he retains both the posts," former chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah said. "It will be better for him, for the army and for the country if he keeps one post," the ex-chief judge said. Musharraf is bound under a constitutional amendment adopted after the agreement Musharraf reached with the MMA, Shah said. Under the deal, the alliance agreed to support a parliamentary vote to approve constitutional changes empowering the president to sack the government and to dissolve the elected parliament. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday joined calls by several ministers for Musharraf to stay as head of the powerful army. "In my opinion the president should remain in uniform in the national interest," said Aziz, a close ally of Musharraf who became prime minister last month. Another former Supreme Court judge, Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, said there was a constitutional bar on Musharraf keeping both posts. "December 31, 2004 is the last day for him to remain in uniform and any decision otherwise would be a violation of the constitution," Ebrahim said. The president cannot remain in uniform even through an act of parliament as suggested by some ruling party members, he added. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League has decided to move resolutions in federal and provincial parliaments urging Musharraf not to give up his uniform. While I'm not particularly happy with Perv, who else is there to run the show in Pakistan that isn't (even more) in bed with the terrorists? |
| Posted by:Zenster |