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National duty: Wajihuddin

ISLAMABAD: Justice (retd.) Wajihuddin Ahmed, who has announced his candidature in the October 6 presidential elections, says he has entered the race as a “national duty” but he still believes it would be better if the opposition parties can carry out their threat to resign from parliament and the provincial assemblies to disrupt the election or at least put a question mark on its credibility.

“That would be the best way, because this is an outgoing parliament. It has lost all moral authority to elect another president,” the Karachi-based former Supreme Court judge, and former chief justice of the Sindh High Court told The Hindu.

But he says he decided to run as in the larger interest. “I was reluctant at first because I am used to a peaceful life, but there’s a larger cause. The cause is that of democracy and constitutionalism, on the one hand, and ameliorating the conditions of the masses,” mr. Ahmed said.

His candidature also has tactical value. The legal community wants to challenge President Musharraf’s candidature when he files his nomination papers, and this can be done only by an “aggrieved party.”

The former judge said he was persuaded to run for the election by the legal community that led an agitation for the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary

“The lawyers have made so many sacrifices for it. They need not have, if they had gone with President Musharraf, they may have benefited in so many ways. So I think others also should not hold back,” he said.He was candid enough to concede that he did not hope to succeed in the election.

“It’s a sheer numbers game, and that is a losing battle, and we don’t expect to succeed in this round. But I hope it is a winning war,” the 68-year-old retired Judge said. He will not canvas votes from political parties, but said there would be a “general message from our side that political parties should side with the people.”

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