ISLAMABAD — Gen. Pervez Musharraf will retain his post of army chief if he is not re-elected president, a government lawyer said yesterday amid fears of a Supreme Court verdict going against his holding dual offices. The statement also fueled opposition claims that Musharraf could be setting the stage to declare a state of emergency. Attorney General Malik Mohammed Qayyum, who outlined Musharraf’s plans during a Supreme Court hearing on challenges to Musharraf’s candidacy, denied any moves toward authoritarianism were being considered.
“There will be no martial law,” he said. “There will be no emergency.” That didn’t convince members of the opposition coalition, the subject of a crackdown that has landed at least 100 party leaders and members in preventive custody — perhaps many more — and generated sharp criticism from Washington, the European Union and the Pakistani media.
Musharraf signed nomination papers yesterday for his re-election before kicking off his campaign from Quetta.
The National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies are scheduled to hold the presidential vote on Oct. 6, before they are dissolved for a general election due by mid-January. Musharraf signed his nomination papers, which will be submitted to the Election Commission tomorrow, a senior ruling party official told Reuters. The government also named alternative candidates in case Musharraf’s papers are not accepted.
“Senate Chairman Mohammad Mian Soomro and National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain will be the covering candidates,” Sen. Mushahid Hussain, secretary-general of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) said.
The Supreme Court began hearing challenges to Musharraf’s re-election on Sept. 17 and a decision is expected imminently, most likely today itself. Retired Brig. Javed Iqbal Cheema, director general of Crisis Management Cell of the Interior Ministry expressed fears of suicide bombing attacks during the presidential election.
During a briefing at the Interior Ministry, he said, “The government has received intelligence reports of expected suicide attacks at the Supreme Court and other vital installations. We apprehend suicide attacks during the presidential election scheduled on Oct. 6.”
He said in view of such expected terrorist activities the federal and provincial governments have taken several opposition leaders into “protective custody.”
Spokesman of the Pakistan People’s Party Farhatullah Babar in a press briefing at the Media Cell of PPP said, “Chairperson of the People’s Party Benazir Bhutto has nominated Makhdum Amin Fahim as her party’s candidate for presidency. His covering candidate will be Dr. Faryal, sister of Asif Ali Zardari and nazim of Nawabshah.”
— With input from agencies
