ISLAMABAD, 9 October 2004 — A bill to allow Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to break a constitutional pledge to quit the army by year’s end was introduced in Parliament late yesterday.
“We are moving a bill in the National Assembly today (yesterday) asking the president to retain both offices,” Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told reporters.
“This is the desire of the people, and this is also for the sake of democratic stability in the country and the ongoing fight against terrorism.”
Musharraf, who holds the dual posts of president and army chief, pledged in a deal with powerful Islamist parties last year to quit the army in return for their support of powers he granted himself to sack the Parliament, and their agreement not to oppose a confidence vote.
A deadline of Dec. 31 this year was set and enshrined in the constitution.
But Musharraf has indicated in repeated media interviews since mid-year that he will not fulfill his pledge, claiming that the demands on Pakistan to round up Al-Qaeda and other militants and to make peace with traditional rival India require a leader in uniform.
The bill is called the “Bill to enable the President of Pakistan to hold another office,” according to The News daily.
It contains a clause stating that “the holder of the office of president of Pakistan may, in addition to his office, also retain the office of army chief.”
The six Islamist parties, aligned as the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, and secular parties led by exiled ex-premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, have vowed to fight the bill.
But with pro-Musharraf ruling party legislators holding the majority there is little doubt it will be passed.
“It is unconstitutional and illegal,” Pakistan People’s Party Sen. Farhatullah Babar said about the bill.
