International   

Will Musharraf review decision on shedding uniform?

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Dec. 25 . Will the latest attempt on the life of the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, have any impact on his decision to quit as the Chief of Army Staff by the end of 2004?

This was one of the questions agitating analysts and the diplomatic community here as details of the second attack on the life of Gen. Musharraf in the heart of the cantonment area in Rawalpindi town today spread.

In the last few weeks, Gen. Musharraf has been harping on the theme that Pakistan faced greater danger from terrorist forces within the country than enemies from outside. Four acknowledged attempts on his life in the last two years has established beyond doubt that he is the number one target of these forces within the country.

Beginning with his decision to align with the United States-led coalition in the war against the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the wake of September 11 and the series of actions he has initiated against the domestic militant groups, Gen. Musharraf has antagonised several vested interests. In the last one year, when the Opposition parties insisted that he take off his uniform as it was against the Constitution to be a military President, Gen. Musharraf argued that his continuation as the Army Chief was necessary in the national interest.

While conceding that he should not continue in two posts, Gen. Musharraf had maintained that he would quit as Army Chief at the appropriate time.

As pressure from the Opposition parties in Pakistan and the international community mounted, Gen. Musharraf had little option but to compromise. It was as part of the political deal with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) that he announced the decision on Wednesday to quit the Army before December 31, 2004.

However the latest incident could once again revive the debate on whether it would be wise for him to give up the post of Army Chief, the real power centre in the country.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Iraqi resistance intensifies
• Europe on high terror threat alert
• Chinese terrorist killed by Pakistan Army
• U.S. grapples with mad cow crisis
• Russia, Ukraine heal sea border rift
• Will Musharraf review decision on shedding uniform?

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu