Is Musharraf taking over as President ?

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, DEC. 15. Is the Pakistan Chief Executive and military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, about to take over as President? Pakistani papers are full of reports of the possibility of some major changes in the present setup.

A marathon meeting of the army top brass late on Thursday night has triggered speculation of major changes in the Government set- up.

Most of the papers indicated that Gen. Musharraf is likely to make some important announcement in the next 48 hours. He is likely to address the nation on the State-controlled television and radio, they say.

The media is intrigued over the marathon session in the military headquarters in view of the perception that the military Government is exploring options of a civilian set-up. The options include revival of suspended assemblies at the national and provincial level and Gen. Musharraf taking over as President.

The papers have reported that the President, Mr. Rafiq Tarar, has already communicated to the Chief Executive his inability to carry on with his responsibilities in view of his failing health.

The speculation about revival of the suspended assemblies or the switchover to the Presidential form of Government has been rife since last Sunday after the former Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif and his family were exiled to Saudi Arabia.

There have been contradictory signals from the military Government in the last few days about its plans on any new political set-up. While the Interior Minister, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Moinuddin Haider, has said revival of the assemblies is an option, the chief spokesman of the military, Maj. Gen. Rashid Quereshi, has categorically ruled out such a possibility.

In a related development, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) headed by Ms. Benazir Bhutto wants the party leader, who is currently in London, to return home and fill the vacuum caused by the departure of Mr. Nawaz Sharif.

A meeting of the central executive council and the federal council of the PPP in Islamabad on Thursday decided to appeal to Ms. Bhutto to return to Pakistan at the earliest.

Ms. Bhutto has been on a self-imposed exile ever since she was convicted in a corruption case by a lower court. A petition against the verdict is pending in a higher court. Sources close to Ms. Bhutto indicated early this week that she would not like to return at this juncture.

The move by the PPP central executive council to ask Ms. Bhutto to return assumes significance in the wake of the dramatic change in the political situation after the exit of Mr. Sharif. The PPP seems to believe that it could politically capitalise on his sudden departure.

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Section  : International
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