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Musharraf not planning to quit: spokesman

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf would not react to media reports about the constitutional amendments proposed to clip his powers, his spokesman said a day after the PPP said the intention behind the proposed changes was to “walk him away from office rather than impeach him away.”

“It is something that’s going to be debated — for how long, one does not know — by the political parties and in Parliament, and only after that it will come to him. We will not speculate before we see the package,” Major-General (retd.) Rashid Qureshi told The Hindu on Sunday.

The PPP announced on Saturday that its constitutional package, containing 62 amendments, included a proposal to repeal a clause that empowers the President to dissolve Parliament and dismiss the government.

Other changes such as taking away his powers to appoint the service chiefs and provincial Governors will reduce the President to a virtual nobody, shattering General (retired) Musharraf’s own vision of “rule by troika” — the President, the Prime Minister and the Army chief.

PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari said the intention was “to walk [President Musharraf] away from office rather than impeach him away.” Asked about Mr. Zardari’s remark, Gen. Qureshi the President had no plan of stepping down from office.

“He is at a stage where he thinks the best thing is to let the political parties and government formation settle down before he says anything.” However, “well-placed sources” were quoted by the media, indicating that General Musharraf may not take pre-emptive action to safeguard his position, but at the same time, he does not have plans to quit office.

The sources were reported as saying General Musharraf wanted to see Parliament complete its term in the interests of democracy and that he wants a “working relationship” with the new government.

“My doors are open to all political parties and I have no personal grudge against any political leader. I have been repeatedly saying from the very beginning I want a working relationship with the new government as all the political forces will have to get united to counter the challenges facing the country,” he reportedly told “well-placed sources.” The President, who appears to be marshalling his allies, met PML(Q) leaders Chaudhary Shujat Hussain and Chaudhary Pervez Elahi on Saturday. They are said to have assured him of their support, and of their opposition to the proposed package.

The amendments will need a two-thirds majority each in the National Assembly and Senate.

Even Nawaz Sharif is iffy about supporting the package as it wants the judges’ reinstatement de-linked from the constitutional package and carried out without conditions.

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