ISLAMABAD: Leaders of Pakistan’s ruling coalition yesterday announced plans to impeach President Pervez Musharraf.
At a joint press conference with coalition partner Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Pakistan People’s Party chief Asif Ali Zardari warned the former army chief of any attempt to dismiss the government.
Earlier the government announced that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani would represent the country at the Beijing Olympics starting today instead of the president.
Zardari, widower of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and head of the coalition, said Parliament would be called next week to begin impeachment proceedings. He did not specify a date but government sources said the coalition had sent a letter to the president requesting him to summon the National Assembly (the lower house of Parliament) on Aug. 11, Musharraf’s birthday.
“The coalition leaders believe that it has become imperative to move for impeachment,” Zardari said. He said the impeachment motion would be tabled in the house under Article 47 of the Constitution.
Zardari said the impeachment motion would charge Musharraf with weakening the federation, destroying the economy and wrecking the judiciary.
Musharraf’s spokesman was not immediately available but his allies said he would fight the impeachment. “We elected him and now we will support him to defeat this move,” Kamil Ali Agha, a leader of the main pro-Musharraf party, Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid), said. “The president will face the impeachment,” he quipped when asked whether Musharraf had any plans to step down.
Under the constitution, a president can be ousted if an impeachment motion wins a two-thirds majority of the combined strength of the National Assembly and Senate. The ruling coalition enjoys a comfortable majority in the National Assembly but the Senate is dominated by Musharraf’s allies, though coalition officials claim many of them had assured they would support the impeachment motion.
The United States said the coalition move was an “internal” matter for the Pakistanis to decide. “We have consistently said the internal politics of Pakistan is an issue for the Pakistani people to decide,” said State Department spokesman Gonzago Gallegos.
“Our expectation is that any action will be consistent with the rule of law and the Pakistani constitution,” Gallegos said. “It is the responsibility of Pakistani leaders to decide on a way forward to succeed as a modern and democratic country.”
— With input from agencies
