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| Wednesday, 13 October 2004 |
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Move to keep Musharraf in the army ISLAMABAD, Tuesday (AFP) A Pakistani parliamentary committee approved a government bill to allow President Pervez Musharraf to break a constitutional pledge to quit as army chief by year's end, state media reported. "National Assembly Standing Committee on Law ... has approved the draft of President to hold another Office Bill 2004," the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. "The bill now will be presented to the National Assembly (lower house) for passage," it said. Amendments proposed by government MPs were included in the bill, while those from the opposition were rejected, it said. Musharraf 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 December 31 this year was set and enshrined in the constitution. But Musharraf repeatedly indicated in interviews that he will not fulfil his pledge, claiming that the demands on Pakistan to round up Al-Qaeda and other Islamic militants and to make peace with traditional rival India require a leader in uniform. The bill 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". Musharraf and his supporters maintain that it is unnecessary to alter the constitution to allow him to reverse the pledge. They say an act of parliament, which this bill presages, is sufficient. Enraged opposition parties, who have long campaigned to end the rule of generals in Pakistan where military chiefs have held power for 29 of its 54-year history, accused Musharraf of circumventing the law and the constitution. |
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