Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf plans to stand down as army chief by 15 November, an official from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) says.
Gen Musharraf will resign from the powerful post after the presidential elections, said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, the PML’s secretary general.
He is seeking re-election by parliament before its term expires in mid-October.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court meanwhile is debating his right to remain army chief if he stands for president again.
There has been no confirmation from Gen Musharraf himself about his intentions.
The country’s largest political party, Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party, has been holding negotiations about a possible power-sharing deal in which they have demanded that he step down from his military role. **
Petitions**
“We expect that after his re-election process next month, God willing, Gen Musharraf would take his oath of office as a civilian president before November 15,” said Mr Sayed.
There has been growing opposition to Gen Musharraf’s contention that he is constitutionally allowed to be both president and head of the army at the same time.
The Supreme Court is hearing six petitions seeking to disqualify Gen Musharraf as a presidential candidate.
The petitions have been filed by, among others, Pakistan’s largest Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami, former cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan and an association of lawyers.
]The six petitions also oppose Gen Musharraf’s plan to seek re-election by the outgoing parliament and provincial elections, saying there should be general elections first.
Gen Musharraf’s apparent promise to step down as army chief is not the first time he has made the claim.
In 2002, he promised members of Pakistan’s Islamic parties that he would resign as head of the army by 2004 in return for their support for a constitutional amendment legitimising his 1999 military takeover.
The opposition believed that that the verbal promise was also enshrined in the amendment, an issue disputed by Gen Musharraf’s advisers.
But instead of keeping that promise, he succeeded in getting parliament to pass an act with a simple majority giving him a one-time exemption to stay on in office until November 2007.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto announced on Friday that she intends to return to Pakistan from exile on 18 October to contest parliamentary elections, which must be held by mid-January.
She was said to have been in negotiations with Gen Musharraf over a deal that would allow her a third term as prime minister in exchange for her support for his plan to be re-elected president.
I will believe it when I see it. Apart from that this is same old BS churned out by his lotas. Nothing new in it. Mushrraf knows w/o vardi he will be Rafique Tarrar...a figure-head president with no powers.
Isn't Musharraf's quitting his uniform part of what Benazir wanted? Looks as though the Bhutto years are returning.
Bad for Pakistan, but at least she's likely to be better than any of the alternatives. I hope. Inshallah :-/
I doubt in the final instance i.e. after the elections that BB will be able to become Prime Minister, even if the 3rd time bar is lifted by Musharraf as part of wider deal with her.
As for Musharraf giving up the uniform. It won't make much of a material difference to his authority as it has been conceded that his military powers will be subtly transferred to the constitutional office of the "Commander-in-Chief" - on the model of the United States (in fact I believe they proposed this).
On top of that Mushrraf will have all the powers that were conferred on the Presidency by the LFO & 17th Amendment. No other President in the history of Pakistan has had such powers - even Excecutive one's like Ghulam Ishaq Khan or Farooq Leghari. In fact a President of Pakistan has powers now akin to a President of France or Russia, pre-eminent in defence and foreign policy, and the supreme authority in other matters as well. BB has already conceded these points in her various interviews as well.
As for Musharraf giving up the uniform. It won't make much of a material difference to his authority as it has been conceded that his military powers will be subtly transferred to the constitutional office of the "Commander-in-Chief" - on the model of the United States (in fact I believe they proposed this).
On top of that Mushrraf will have all the powers that were conferred on the Presidency by the LFO & 17th Amendment. No other President in the history of Pakistan has had such powers - even Excecutive one's like Ghulam Ishaq Khan or Farooq Leghari. In fact a President of Pakistan has powers now akin to a President of France or Russia, pre-eminent in defence and foreign policy, and the supreme authority in other matters as well. BB has already conceded these points in her various interviews as well.
Constitutionally speaking, NS was well within his rights to fire Musharraf. Constitutionally speaking, my dear, Musharraf had no powers to suspend the Chief Justice. Constitutionally speaking, he could also not become a President by virtue of a referendum or vote of confidence. Constitution has never meant much for Musharraf when his own interests were at stake. Now that his ass is on the line, we've conveniently become the deities of constitutionalism and and rule of law. Amusing. Frankly speaking, reap what u shall sow. Once Musharraf takes his unifrom off, sooner or later he will run into trouble again. Constitutionally he may be the C-in-C but Army chief's have a history of rebellion and a reputation to keep. What goes around, comes around. I say don't be surprised when it does. :)
I doubt in the final instance i.e. after the elections that BB will be able to become Prime Minister, even if the 3rd time bar is lifted by Musharraf as part of wider deal with her.
As for Musharraf giving up the uniform. It won't make much of a material difference to his authority as it has been conceded that his military powers will be subtly transferred to the constitutional office of the "Commander-in-Chief" - on the model of the United States (in fact I believe they proposed this).
On top of that Mushrraf will have all the powers that were conferred on the Presidency by the LFO & 17th Amendment. No other President in the history of Pakistan has had such powers - even Excecutive one's like Ghulam Ishaq Khan or Farooq Leghari. In fact a President of Pakistan has powers now akin to a President of France or Russia, pre-eminent in defence and foreign policy, and the supreme authority in other matters as well. BB has already conceded these points in her various interviews as well.
Mashallah. Excellent reply that takes into account the geo-strategic reality of today.
Constitutionally speaking, NS was well within his rights to fire Musharraf.
I don't think anyone doubted that. But constitutionally, Nawaz Sharif didn't have the right to try to kill Musharraf (and the other passengers on the plane). Which is what he clearly did given that once Musharraf's plane didn't have enough fuel to land anywhere but in Pakistan, Sharif still didn't allow it to land.
When elected politicians care not for the constitution.... extra-constitutionary measures become needed to save the country.
I can't help the feeling that musharaf will seek and take refuge in Saudi Arabia. He and his neighbor can settle their disputes the old fashioned way then instead of dragging pakistan through the dumps as they have done so far
