Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf stepped down as military chief on Wednesday, a move that had been a key demand of his political rivals and Western backers. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said Musharraf showed “courage” by stepping down, but called for emergency rule to be ended immediately
he Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) and emergency will go on December 16 this year and the general elections scheduled for January 8 will be held under the 1973 Constitution, announced President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday.
“I have full resolve to lift emergency and withdraw the PCO on December 16,” said President Musharraf in a televised address to the nation hours after taking oath as the civilian president for his second 5-year term.
President Musharraf said the overall situation has improved since November 3, the day he clamped emergency and promulgated the PCO. He has already doffed his uniform, the major demand of his opponents. “The democratic process has been moving ahead and the back of terrorists has been broken to a great extent,” said Musharraf.
All 33 members of the APDM, minus the JUI-F, on Thursday announced boycott of the upcoming general elections, saying the decision would only be reviewed if President Pervez Musharraf restores the deposed judges of the superior judiciary.
After long deliberations at the Model Town residence of former premier Nawaz Sharif, members of the All Parties Democratic Movement decided unanimously the alliance would boycott the elections if President Musharraf didn’t budge on the judges’ issue.
“We have a one-point agenda, and we will not compromise on it at any cost. We will boycott the sham elections,” said Mian Nawaz Sharif, while briefing the media after the meeting. The APDM meeting, chaired by Mian Nawaz Sharif, however, kept the option of rapprochement with President Musharraf open in case he changes his mind vis-‡-vis his Nov-3 decision of sacking the judges.
President Pervez Musharraf took oath as civilian president of Pakistan for five years on Thursday. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Abdul Hameed Doggar administered the oath to the president under the 1973 constitution.
The president’s oath taking ceremony was held at at Aiwan-e-Sadar, Islamabad.
Caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro, caretaker cabinet members, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, President Muslim League (Q) Chaudhry Shujaat, Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain, former federal ministers, foreign diplomats and top civil and military officials attended the ceremony.
Musharraf after serving as the Pak Army for 46 years with nine years as Army Chief, relinquished the top post on Nov. 28.
President Musharraf has stood down as head of the army in preparation for his swearing in as civilian president.
Restrictions on TV channels clamped on November 3 after the proclamation of emergency and the imposition of the PCO were challenged in the Supreme Court here on Wednesday, praying that restrictions on the channels be declared illegal, void and without lawful authority.
A constitutional petition was filed in the superior court by Qazi Sheharryar Iqbal, advocate, praying the apex court that the blocked TV channels should be allowed to start their normal operations so as to enable the people of Pakistan to enjoy their right of choice of information and freedom of speech and expression.
The petition was filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, making the Federation of Pakistan through Secretary, Ministry of Information, and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) through its chairman as respondents.
In an extraordinary development, President General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday stepped down as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and handed over the command of the Pakistan Army to General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
In a smooth transfer of command, President General Musharraf passed the baton of command to General Kayani at a ceremony held at the Hockey Stadium located in front of the General Headquarters (GHQ).
The handing over ceremony with martial pomp took place a day before Musharraf would take oath for a second five-year term as civilian president, thus fulfilling the promise he made to the nation.
The government will lift the emergency rule ìvery soonî as President Pervez Musharraf is keen to withdraw the measure before January elections, officials said on Wednesday.
ìI cannot give any exact date and time about lifting the emergency but I can say now that it will be lifted very soon,î Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum said. The comment came after a television channel, quoting unidentified sources, reported that Musharraf was set to end the state of emergency within 48 hours.
A senior government official, on condition of anonymity, said: ìMusharraf wanted to lift the measure before January 8 elections but is still weighing his options. He has indicated to his aides that he would like to lift the emergency before the elections but it is not yet decided when to do it.î The attorney general said there was no real use to the government in maintaining the emergency except in tackling extremism and insurgency.
President Pervez Musharraf’s decision to doff his military uniform and take the oath as a civilian president is meaningless until all illegal and unconstitutional steps taken by him are rolled back, and the judiciary is restored to its pre-November 3 status, said former premier Mian Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.
Talking to journalists after the PML-N Central Working Committee meeting, Nawaz said President Pervez Musharraf was unacceptable to his party even without uniform, and all the decisions taken by him in the past had no legitimacy.
“It’s a matter of the whole nation, not of a party or an individual. We have to safeguard our country and steer it out of crisis at any cost,” said the PML-N chief. He said his party wanted complete rollback of all decisions taken after Nov 3, and above all the restoration of the judiciary to its pre-November 3 status, without which nothing was acceptable. Nawaz said even if President Musharraf lifts emergency, we will continue our struggle till reinstatement of the deposed judges. “How can the nation accept verdicts from courts which have been formed to get desired results? It’s a mockery of the law,” he said.
Muneer Malik, former Pres. Supreme Court Bar Association, was in Attock jail and reportedly tortured.
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