The Hindu : International : Plea to Musharraf on posts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 16, 2004

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International

Plea to Musharraf on posts

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 15. Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan are engaged in an unusual game of one-upmanship regarding the military uniform of the President and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Pervez Musharraf.

Two days after the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution urging him not to shed his uniform in the "larger national interest," the Provincial Assembly of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) today passed a resolution demanding that Gen. Musharraf relinquish one of his two posts by December 31.

While the Punjab Assembly is dominated by the pro-Musharraf Muslim League, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) — a conglomerate of religious parties — dominates the NWFP Assembly. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP), led by the former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, moved the resolution.

The resolution said the NWFP Assembly deemed the Punjab Assembly's resolution on the President's uniform a breach of the Constitution and believed that the President, under the article 63-C & K of the Constitution, could hold both offices only till December 31, 2004. It also demanded the President to take a decision before December 31.

Gen. Musharraf had attained retirement age in October 2001 for the post of the Army Chief. As President and Chief Executive, he extended his tenure indefinitely.

As part of the deal with the MMA, Gen. Musharraf last year promised to give up his uniform and become a civilian President. In return, the MMA joined the ruling combine and endorsed most of his controversial changes to the Constitution and ratified his election as President through a referendum.

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