ISLAMABAD, 23 April — Mian Muhammad Azhar, the newly elected president of the Pakistan Muslim League, yesterday urged the military government to restore assemblies and called for constitutional amendments to define the role of army in a new political setup. He also advocated giving powers to the president to dismiss the government but not the assemblies.
In a press conference here, Azhar supported the establishment of a national security council with representation to the army. He said the best option for the military was to restore the assemblies, but added his party was ready for elections if it was held in 2002.
He claimed that his party commanded overwhelming majority in the National Assembly and said he could prove it if the assemblies were restored. “We support the parliamentary form of government and not the presidential one,” he said.
Azhar said the issue of supporting Gen. Musharraf as president of the country, constitutional amendments and army’s role in the future political setup could be discussed in the parliamentary party meeting of PML. Azhar named Gohar Ayub Khan as secretary general of the party and Begum Abida Hussain was appointed information secretary. There will be two additional secretary generals — Ghulam Sarwar Cheema, and Fazal Hussain — 14 vice presidents, 13 joint secretaries and 40 executive committee members.
Denying that any deal had been struck with the government, Azhar said the accountability process would be carried on and the corrupt would be punished.
