PAKISTAN: Appeal against President Musharraf
Updated
Pakistan's Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal against President Pervez Musharraf's position as army chief. The application was filed by the chief of Pakistan's main coalition of fundamentalist parties.
Presenter: Sonja Heydeman
Speakers: Tariq Azim, Pakistan's federal minister of State for Information.
AZIM: Well this is a number of appeals that have been filed by various interested parties, mostly opposition members. They're aligned with the Supreme Court. Obviously one has to wait and see what the Supreme Court decides but nothing has been decided there yet. Last time the appeal was heard, this is an appeal by lawyers forum, last time it was heard was in 2003, and at that time the court held in President Musharraf's favour.
HEYDEMAN: The application to the court say that under military regulations President Musharraf's term as Chief of the Army Staff expired in 2001. It also says he's no longer eligible to continue in the post after turning 60 in August 2003. The document also argues that in 2004 the leader broke a public pledge to hang up his military uniform. Senator Azim says he hasn't gone through the details of the application.
AZIM: The number of petitions being filed right, left and centre, so it is difficult sometimes to keep track. But this is an election year and the election is coming up, it is due in less than four weeks so one can expect this. this is nothing unusual.
HEYDEMAN: The application comes as the Pakistani cabinet has experienced movement in its ranks with the resignation of the Minister of State for Information Technology. The resignation came in protest against the President's plan to remain as Army Chief. Senator Azim says the government permits this form of expression.
AZIM: Unlike other political parties like Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif who do not tolerate any dissension within their ranks, in this political party people are allowed to say what they want to say.
HEYDEMAN: Meanwhile Senator Azim says he's aware that the Pakistani President has been involved in talks with the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
AZIM: Yes there have been talks going on with all political parties, mainly to ensure that the free and fair elections are held. And number two to ensure that if they have any misapprehensions, any reservations those should be removed. At the moment I think some of them are putting up a smoke screen of democracy to sell it to the west that they're all doing this and they're talking to people. Nobody talks about them trying to get back into power by insisting that the cases of corruption against them are dropped. So mostly what you hear and read is about everybody trying to be cleaner than clean and say we are doing it for democracy. Whereas the fact of the matter is that some are doing it purely for personal reasons, either to get back into power or and more likely to ensure that the cases of corruption against them are dropped.
HEYDEMAN: There have been suggestions that Ms Bhutto would be willing to support a constitutional amendment that would give General Musharraf another term. The Information Minister explains how this news has been regarded by Musharraf loyalists.
AZIM: She had the chance to govern the country twice and twice she was thrown out because of corruption. So there are people who think that if there's a deal being started out at the moment either to give her a third chance to become a prime minister, then there will be people who will strongly resent that, especially the fact that she may have complete immunity from many prosecutions. Those are the terms that are unfortunately not coming out in the media, most people are talking about the uniform and the democracy and fair elections, but other conditions that are being laid down perhaps are not being exposed to the media and to the public. Basically people are negotiating for their personal gains and their safe exemption from prosecution.
HEYDEMAN: Another person of interest is former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Senator Azim says eyes are also on the possibility that Mr Sharif could return to Pakistan to launch his own political challenge.
AZIM: The Supreme Court has allowed him to return so obviously he will be allowed to return, but that goes without saying. And of course if people elect him this is a verdict of the people, the electorate has been stated. But once again if there are any cases pending, somehow he has gained a pardon and as part of so-called parole he was allowed to leave the country. Now if those cases are reinstated, any other cases that have been pending, then I mean their legal advisers will have to take care of those cases, whether it was in the case of Benazir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif.
