Sep 6, 2002: Musharraf on BBC

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Special Guest :smiley:

Musharraf To Be Special Guest in BBC’s Programme on Friday

KARACHI: President General Pervez Musharraf will be the special guest in BBC World’s current affairs programme “Question Time Pakistan” on Friday (September 6).This was announced in the BBC World statement issued here on Tuesday.

The statement said this is a unique programme, as President Musharraf will directly answer the questions from the studio audience, representing a cross-section of Pakistani society. It said that the President’s appearance on the programme, which for this one show would feature no other panellists, was expected to generate some very interesting debate.

It said that ** the audience in Karachi would have the opportunity to interact directly with President Musharraf and to listen to his views related to current issues, including the upcoming general elections, the formation and functions of the National Security Council and the Kashmir issue.**

Mahreen Khan, a barrister and a prominent journalist who has ably hosted five Question Time Pakistan programmes to date, would once again manage the programme ensuring a lively and fair debate on all the questions raised, the BBC statement added.

It stated that commenting on the special programme, Commissioning Editor BBC World Narendhra Morar said: “We are delighted that the president has accepted BBC World’s invitation to appear on Question Time Pakistan. I have no doubt that the results of the show will be debated far and wide over the weekend.”

Question Time Pakistan is a weekly programme that goes on air every Friday on BBC World at 2230 PST. It is a weekly open forum programme in which four panellists answer questions raised by the audience and discuss the most recent issues of Pakistan. The audience is selected from a wide cross-section of society, the statement said.

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Musharraf Hints At Tailored Democracy

KARACHI, Sept 5: President Pervez Musharraf has said that his government is tailoring democracy to match the country’s needs and requirements. “There is no fixed formula for democracy around the world. I am trying to tailor democracy according to the needs of Pakistan,” he said while responding to a question from the audience at a special episode of BBC World’s weekly programme ‘Question Time Pakistan’ to be telecast on Friday at 2200 PST.

The BBC World has changed the format of this special episode and invited President Musharraf as special guest to take direct questions from the audience in the 50-minute show.

“I’m a democrat,” the president observed in response to a question whether he was a democrat or dictator. **“I have been a democrat all through my career in the army. I have taken my people along with me.” **

He said that he commanded in the army in a democratic way. **“That is my strong point and even now when I continue it does not mean that I am not taking democracy with me.”

“In fact, I have introduced the essence of democracy in Pakistan. So, I am a democrat”,** he emphatically said.

Replying to another question, he said the nation was more important to him. “Democracy is important, but the nation is much more important and whatever is in the interest of the nation, I will do that”, Gen Musharraf added.

“Those who looted and plundered the country and had two chances to govern but failed, will not be allowed to take part in the elections”, he said.

“They have no place to govern again,” the president said. “I have said many times that Nawaz Sharif and his family will not come for elections. That is my stand,” the president said.

Talking about the continuity of the reforms he said that the process of institutionalization was under way. **“We have eliminated 13th Amendment to restore the authority of the president to dismiss the assembly under Article 58(2) B.”

“Now, this authority is not in the hands of the president but with the National Security Council (NSC), which is federal in structure”,** he said.

He said the NSC is similar to a Turkish model but **“we wanted to have a home-grown model.” **

“We had NSC during President Leghari in 1997, but it was not made functional. I want to make this functional in the interest of balanced decisions and in the interest of checks and balances on all (power brokers),” he said.

He was confident that with the institutionalization process, sustainable democracy would be introduced in the country.

“We have to understand what are our problems”, he told a questioner, adding, a prime minister used the power and got rid of the president, chief justice and army chief in one and a half year.

“He wanted to get rid of the second chief of army staff,” he said, adding that the NSC has been tailored to deal with such kind of situation in future.

Commenting on the role of previous governments, he said that the politicians had not run the country well in the past 12 years.

**“We have to check mis-governance, loot and plunder. We are not going to share government with the politicians but to check their governance”, ** the president added.

:hula:PAKISTAN - ALL THE WAY:hula: