International   

Parties mull over Musharaff’s ouster

ISLAMABAD: On a day of weighty developments centred on his possible removal from office, President Pervez Musharraf reinstated his visit to Beijing for the opening of the Olympic Games that he had earlier cancelled after initiating a fight-back against his political opponents that appeared to throw them into disarray.

“In view of our special relations with China, the President has decided to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics,” the Foreign Office said in a press release.

The retired General Musharraf is now scheduled to leave for the games on Thursday. The Foreign Office said earlier in the day that the visit was cancelled due to “developments at home” when the President did not leave as scheduled on Wednesday morning.

As frenetic discussions continued through the day between the ruling coalition partners — PPP, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Awami National Party and the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islami — on Gen. Musharraf’s possible ouster, the beleaguered President initiated a rearguard action that broke up the talks.

Gen. Musharraf signed a government summary reinstating eight judges of the Sindh High Court who were among the 60 judges he dismissed in the November 2007 emergency.

The PML(N) backs the demand of the lawyers’ movement for unconditional restoration of all the dismissed judges, including the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhary.

But the summary, which is said to have been sent by the law ministry to President Musharraf several days ago, showed the government plans to restore them selectively, and perhaps reappoint them by requiring them to take another oath of office.

PML(N) leader at first made his participation in the talks conditional on the government withdrawing the summary.

A joint declaration that was to have been issued after the meeting did not materialise. But late at night, the PML(N) leader was back at Mr. Zardari’s residence for more discussions.

Wednesday’s ruling alliance meeting followed coalition-saving talks between PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari and PML(N) leader Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday at which the two are said to have arrived at an agreement on President Musharraf’s removal.

Gen. Musharraf immediately responded with strong signals he would fight back. He told senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League(Q), his main political ally, and his legal advisers on Wednesday morning that while the ruling coalition was within its rights to move a resolution for his impeachment, it was his right to resist it.

The legal advisers reportedly briefed him on his powers to dissolve Parliament.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Parties mull over Musharaff’s ouster
Flying flags, beaming faces in Beijing
Dalai Lama wishes the Games success
Bush sees new peace structure in E. Asia
Plot to topple Brown thickens
Notification on ISI held in abeyance
Maoists to return seized properties
Osama’s driver convicted
‘Missing’ Indians’ visas to expire today
There was a serious security lapse, says Indian mission
“India should relax visa requirements for Chinese”

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu