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Army chief post linked to re-election

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf will stay on as army chief if he is not elected as head of state for another term, the Supreme Court heard on Tuesday.

Attorney-General Malik Qayyum told the nine-judge bench hearing the constitutional petitions against Gen. Musharraf contesting the October 6 presidential election that the Act enabling him to hold the dual office would cease to exist on November 15, the day his current term as head of state ends. He would then step down as army chief, he said.

At this a judge jocularly asked what would happen “if” President Musharraf was not elected to another term.

“It is very clear that if he is not elected, he will continue as Army chief. Then nobody can stop him,” Mr. Qayyum said.

In another context, countering a petition that argues that Gen. Musharraf at 64, is four years past the age of retirement for government employees, and cannot continue anymore as army chief, Mr. Qayyum told the court that according to the rules, there is no age of retirement for four star generals.

This category of generals has a “tenure” and not a term, and this is extendable, he said.

The Attorney-General’s statements raised fresh concerns about what lies ahead for Pakistan if the court decides that Gen. Musharraf cannot contest.

As the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing for another day of arguments on Wednesday, the Pakistan ruler flew to the Balochistan capital Quetta for a last round of campaigning with provincial legislators, after signing his nomination papers on Tuesday.

The nomination, which will be submitted on Thursday, has to be proposed by a Senator, and seconded by a member of the National Assembly.

Seven sets of proposers and seconders have nominated him, but just in case the court rules against him, or his papers are rejected by the Election Commission, Gen. Musharraf also has two “cover candidates” — the National Assembly Speaker and the Senate Chairman — who will file their nominations too.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties are trying to get their act together for a planned en mass resignation from the Assemblies to disrupt the election or at least undermine its credibility.

The weak link in this strategy, Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat-e-ulema Islam, was meeting in Peshawar, capital of the NWFP where it is the ruling party, to finalise if it would resign and when, and also to decide if it should dissolve the provincial Assembly.

The party is reported to be in backchannel negotiations with Gen. Musharraf.

The JuI’s partner in the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, the Qazi Hussain-led Jamat-e-Islami, which is dead set against the Musharraf regime, was also in the meeting.

The government has detained several party leaders, parliamentarians and provincial Assembly members, which Opposition parties say is aimed at disrupting the resignation strategy, as these have to be handed in person to the Speaker.

But deputy Information minister Tariq Azeem said the Opposition activists had been taken into “protective custody” as they were planning to attack the Supreme Court and intimidate judges while a crucial hearing was ongoing.

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