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| Saturday, 18 September 2004 |
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Opposition fumes as Pakistan leader keeps on khaki ISLAMABAD, Friday (Reuters) Pakistan's opposition parties lambasted President Pervez Musharraf for going back on his word to step down as army chief by the end of the year, calling it another blow to democracy. But commentators said the announcement about Musharraf's intentions by a cabinet minister late on Wednesday was widely expected, and there was little critics could do to stop him. "This is a violation of the agreement, a violation of the constitution and a violation of a commitment to the people of Pakistan," said Liaquat Baluch, a leader in a conservative Islamic opposition bloc called the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). "Now his personality comes first, not Pakistan." Musharraf and the MMA struck a deal last year under which he agreed to hand in his uniform in 2004 in return for support for constitutional changes enhancing his already considerable powers. In December, Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, publicly announced his intention to step down as chief of army staff, although he has hinted strongly since then that he would not honour the pledge. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Musharraf had made up his mind to stay on as chief of army staff, although officials have since backtracked, saying it was up to the president to decide. A U.S. State Department spokesman said that as far as he knew Musharraf had not decided to retain his military role. But in Pakistan, few expect the president to stick to the original agreement. "This really comes as no surprise," said Ayaz Amir, a political commentator. "We've been through situations like this before and people just shrug their shoulders." Analysts predicted that U.S. reaction was likely to be muted in recognition of Musharraf's pivotal role in the war on terror for which he has earned billions of dollars in loans and debt relief and political backing from Washington. Reactions were mixed to news Musharraf looked set to keep his uniform, in a country ruled by the military for more than half of its 57 year history. Abroad, the Commonwealth, which recently lifted a suspension of Pakistan imposed after Musharraf's coup, said it would not be happy for him to stay on as army chief. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said he believed the Pakistani information minister had retracted his comments and Musharraf had not changed his position on the matter. "Our understanding is President Musharraf has not taken a decision on this issue," Boucher told reporters in Washington, adding that the U.S. government regarded Musharraf's intention to relinquish his military role as a "good thing." |
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