Days are numbered for Pakistani President
Updated
Embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is losing support by the hour. Key elements of his military and political powerbase have abandoned him, joining forces with the ruling coalition to begin impeachment proceedings. A parliamentary committee has now drawn up a charge sheet to effectively begin impeachment proceedings.
Presenter: Linda LoPresti
Speaker: Siddiq-ul-Farooq, Pakistan Muslim-League-Nawaz party.
UL-FAROOQ: First of all he abbrogated the constitution on third of November 2007 for the second time and he himself confessed that he has violated and abbrogated constitution. Second, that he by design he created an energy crisis in Pakistan. Then he tried to sabotage the transfer of power and also to destabilise the elected government. Then there are so many other charges, I understand corruption, attacking the judiciary, and so on and so forth.
LOPRESTI: I understand in terms of corruption I understand that one of the charges will claim that the President misappropriated hundreds of millions of dollars of American money given for ...
UL-FAROOQ: Yes this is the latest, four-point-six-billion US dollars assistance for actions in tribal areas have not been accounted for.
LOPRESTI: Well when will the charge sheet be submitted to parliament?
UL-FAROOQ: Actually it is impeachment motion that is 50 per cent members of either house that is senate or National Assembly can sign and impeach that motion which will be sent to the Speaker of the National Assembly and who in three days will send the copy of that to the President and then he will convene a joint sitting of the parliament after seven days and not later than 14 days.
LOPRESTI: Mr Ul-Farooq do you believe you have the numbers to impeach President Musharraf?
UL-FAROOQ: We have over 3-fourths majority now because the PMLQ, the former King's party, the majority of the King's party is also supporting impeachment. Therefore now Mr Musharraf has been singled out, he has been completedly isolated and we command the support of over 350 MPs while we need 295 to get the motion through. It will be a 100 page document and supported with facts, figures, documents, etc.
LOPRESTI: There are conflicting reports coming out of Pakistan. Some say that President Musharraf is on the verge of quitting. Others say that he's digging his heels in and has no intentions of resigning ahead of this impeachment proceedings. Can you shed any light?
UL-FAROOQ: Musharraf has not officially or publicly said that he is ready to resign. But there are certain moves, a common trend is trying to convince Mr Shahbaz Sharif that the PMLN chief Mr Nawaz Sharif should agree to give him safe passage. But officially Mr Musharraf has not conformed. An armed forces chief, army chief has clearly told Musharraf that army in this situation is quite neutral, it has a constitutional role to defend countries from ... and it will not come to support him.
LOPRESTI: Do you think he will go by the end of the week?
UL-FAROOQ: There is a choice whether he wants to seek exile or he is ready to face the impeachment in the parliament. His fate will be decided within three or four days. He has committed serious crimes, very serious crimes therefore he should be impeached.
