Mullahs Mad at Musharraf- (the triple MMM)-Verizon/Split in MMA-MadSci

Verizon · January 2, 2005, 1:50am

Now the question knowing that it is unconstitutional to keep both posts should he? Is it good for the country? Why are only the islamic parties ticked off about this? And a last question: Has he done a good job with Pakistan?

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has addressed the nation on television to confirm that he will stay on as head of the army.
Gen Musharraf also accused his opponents of “threatening democracy”.

He had earlier promised to give up the army role by the end of this year, while retaining the presidency.

“I have decided to retain both offices… any change in internal or external policies can be extremely dangerous for Pakistan,” he said.

Opposition

The Pakistani parliament passed a controversial bill in November allowing Gen Musharraf to keep his dual role as president and army chief.

In his address, he accused opponents of trying to make political capital from the uniform issue.

They have been staging protests in recent months, calling on him to leave the military.

Hardline Islamist parties have led the protests.

The president had made a deal with them to step down as army chief. In return they did not oppose a series of constitutional changes at the beginning of the year.

Some legal experts had said the November law could not override the requirement to step down and that the general was bound by the constitution.

But Gen Musharraf has said 96% of Pakistanis want him to stay as head of the army.

He came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and has since become a key player in the US-led “war on terror”.

His term as president expires in 2007.

MiniMe · January 2, 2005, 2:26am

Re: Mullahs Mad at Musharraf- (the triple MMM)

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Verizon: *
But Gen Musharraf has said 96% of Pakistanis want him to stay as head of the army.

[/QUOTE]

I couldn’t resist, it’s known as Bshar-Husni-Saddam-Syndrome (BHS), and our President Musharaf is suffering from the same illness. They also think that they have 99.99% of peoples support….and since President Musharaf is new to this syndrome he thinks his support base is 96%.

PyariCgudia · January 2, 2005, 2:58am

ah, but you forget. The coup was bloodless. What does this say about Mushy babu?

To be quite honest, if Fazloo Rehman bhai is his opposition, I say let Musharraf be the leader of Pakistan for LIFE.

Or at least until Fazloo chokes on his heavy diet of Chicken Tikka and Kababs.

Mr_Fraudia · January 2, 2005, 3:32am

fazloo's is wearing very disco paggars these days, has he been made over by queer eye for the stright guy?

Abdali · January 2, 2005, 3:36am

Is this fazloo guy maulana Diesel?

Mr_Fraudia · January 2, 2005, 3:41am

by the pagris he is sporting these days he looks less of mullahy "diesel" and more of mullah "docle and Gabbana" if ya know what I mean mate..

sorry couldn't resist that one :)

mAd_ScIeNtIsT · January 2, 2005, 4:15am

MMA cracks showing over Musharraf Uniform

Sandwich Sami’s breaking ranks - what impact could this have? He’s using some pretty strong words here…

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_2-1-2005_pg1_3

Maulana Samiul Haq, chief of his own Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam faction, announced on Saturday that he supports General Pervez Musharraf and was against protests at the president’s position as army chief.

Sami said this while speaking to a private television channel, APP reported. The JUI-Sami is part of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a six-party alliance of religious parties, that made the call for protests against Gen Musharraf. The announcement is likely to hasten the parties exit from the MMA.

Also on Saturday, the Central Council of the JUI-S expelled its MNA from Karachi, Qari Gul Rahman, and the minister of law in the NWFP government, Ayaz Khan, for violating party policies. The decision was taken at a meeting of the council chaired by Sami.

Qari Rahman, who was elected to the National Assembly from the Keamari area of Karachi, and Ayaz Khan had defied party discipline by attending MMA meetings.

Qazi Abdul Latif, the vice president of the JUI-S, said that two parties in the MMA were trying to sideline the JUI-S in the MMA and they must resolve the matter of JUI-S appointments in the provincial governments in the NWFP and Balochistan.

Latif did not take their names, but he was referring to the two biggest parties in the MMA, the JUI-Fazl and the Jamaat-e-Islami.

To a question, he said the MMA was formed to protect Pakistan’s Islamic ideology and to restore the 1973 Constitution. If MMA leaders concentrated on these two points, issues such as the president’s uniform would not have arisen.

Talking to a Daily Times correspondent in Karachi over the phone, Mufti Osman Yar Khan, deputy secretary of the party, said that Qari Rehman and Ayaz Khan had been warned several times not to attend MMA meetings.

Mufti Osman accused the Jamaat-e-Islami and JUI-F of “misguiding” its party members, which was tantamount to horse-trading. “On the one hand both parties protest against the autocratic rule of President Musharraf, and on the other they behave in a dictatorial manner themselves,” he said.

Mufti Osman said that the JUI-S had “expelled” the JUI-F and JI from the MMA because they had been working against the agenda agreed by the component parties of the alliance upon its formation.

To a question, he said that his party did not support the protests against President Musharraf’s decision to continue holding his army chief post. “Our efforts are aimed at restoring the 1973 Constitution,” he said. Qari Rahman was not available for comment.

Goliko · January 2, 2005, 4:57am

I think MMA & good for nothing PPPP+PML(N) should stop their protests...besides it's only 2 years between 2007 & now...MMA already has NWFP & Baluchistan governments & their mayor in Karachi...MMA should build their support in Punjab,where they are too weak & come back in 2007...PPPP is controlling Sindh....Musharraf's support i guess is currently coming from PML(J) who is controlling almost all Punjab along with NA in Southern Punjab...

Spock · January 2, 2005, 8:04am

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by PyariCgudia: *
Or at least until Fazloo chokes on his heavy diet of Chicken Tikka and Kababs.
[/QUOTE]

Correction, it consists of Halwa.

Verizon · January 2, 2005, 3:57pm

Interesting responses but missing the answers to questions that I posted in my initial post.
I like the General but don't know what is it that makes the Islamists (pardon the choice of word but it is a comon word these days)all in huff.
As far as the answering the questions:

a:Now the question knowing that it is unconstitutional to keep both posts should he?
Yes he should, Pakistani constitution has been trampled before why stop now.
b:Is it good for the country?
Yes not only that its good for the country its good for U.S and for the region to have someone like Musharraf.
c:Why are only the islamic parties ticked off about this?
Islamists would rather see a weak pakistan, whatever their reasoning is.
d:And a last question: Has he done a good job with Pakistan?
I think he has done a stupendous job. He should not give up his post actually I think heshould mend the consitution even more and stay longer than 2007.

Minerva · January 2, 2005, 10:05pm

This is a bitter pill that MMA would ultimately be asked to swallow. Unless all the major parties support MMA, there is no way its ever going to be successful in its country wide protests. While this is a blatant lie and exagerration that over 96% people support Musharraf, there is no denying the fact that he still command respect and support of many people and above all he is powerful enough to over ride all such demands by the opposition. But that still doesn't mean that he should take undue advantage of his powerful position.

It seems that the only point of contention and issue worth discussing is that o the uniform and all other matters pertaining to the country have become secondary. One wants to grab th power the other wants to hold onto the power. Its jus that 'cuz we do not have a powerful democratic base and forces that this agitation spearheaded by MMA seems to be in disarray even before it has started.

We have ideally speaking two routes...
1) Pervaiz Musharraf relinquishing his uniform ( I wonder how that would jeopardize the security of our country. I support him wholeheartedly but it would be great to see for once a general not going back on his words and keeping up his promises).
2) Let him rule till 2007 while the other parties consolidate their power base.

Zakk · January 2, 2005, 10:22pm

I think people are missing an element to this conversation, Musharraf made a promise to the nation he would shed his uniform after december 2004 ..constitutionally while he may have passed a bill through both offices of parliament..it has no validity and that much was said so by the man who negotiated the agreement between him S M Zafar..

The argumentbehind toppling Nawaz Sharif, was that the system had failed and we had to trust Musharraf the individual and the army as an institution..on the promise to restore democracy. 5 years later what have we seen.. Musharrafs word means nothing ..when he promised democracy he was lying..when he promised accountability he was lying...

In the end why does Mush need the uniform..it's not because he is scared of political parties..it's because he is scared of the Army..after all Yahya, Ayub and probably Zia were all ousted by their own people.

Verizon · January 4, 2005, 3:19am