The Hindu : International : Musharraf to shed uniform after election

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Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007
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International

Musharraf to shed uniform after election

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court on Tuesday that he would relinquish his post as the Chief of Army Staff after his re-election, but the Opposition and the legal community rejected it as an attempt to threaten the court with martial law unless it ruled in his favour, and said he was not eligible to contest the election at all.

Counsel for the President, Sharifuddin Pirzada, submitted the undertaking in the form of a statement on behalf of the President and the government to the nine-judge bench hearing the challenge to the President’s dual offices and his eligibility to contest the coming presidential election, at the very start of the day’s proceedings.

“If elected for the second term as the President, General Pervez Musharraf shall relinquish charge of the office of the Chief of Army Staff soon after election but before taking oath of office of the President of Pakistan for the second term,” the two-paragraph statement declared.

“The nomination paper of General Pervez Musharraf should be scrutinised by the Chief Election Commissioner/returning officer independently and in accordance with the law.”

“Blackmail attempt”

When the judges asked what bearing this would have on the petition before them, Akram Sheikh, lawyer for the Jamat-i-Islami and its leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed, said that “from day one”, his case was that the President is not eligible to file nomination for the re-election, and the statement was to divert attention away from this issue.

“[The statement] has been filed maliciously to prejudice the mind of this honourable court. Let the case be decided on its own merit without it being influenced by any one statement,” Mr. Sheikh said.

“An effort has been made to influence the court about the benign conduct of the respondent as if he is about to shed off his uniform,” Mr. Sheikh said, adding that Gen. Musharraf had made these promises before, only to break them.

Outside the court, Opposition leaders and senior lawyers said the President’s undertaking to the court was an attempt to “hoodwink” the people and “influence the court.”

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) also condemned the statement.

Opposition leaders particularly picked on the word "if" in the statement as a veiled threat to the court and the nation that he would not quit the army until he is elected.

“It’s a threat to the Supreme Court that if [President Musharraf] is not given a way to re-elect himself, he will not take off his uniform,” said Hafiz Hussain of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

Members of the legal fraternity also saw it the same way. Senior advocate Tariq Hassan said the statement amounted to “political blackmail”.

“What is he going to do if he does not win? Declare an emergency, impose marital law? Looking at his past record, he may do anything to remain in power,” Mr. Hassan said.

Eminent jurist and parliamentarian Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the General was ineligible to contest the election with or without uniform and the statement before the Supreme Court is an attempt at deception to mislead the court not to give any ruling on his candidature.

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