Benazir Takes a Tough Line: Musharraf
Faces Threat of Ouster
Pakistan heads
towards Martial Law as Serious
Deadlock Persists
Special
SAT Report
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON:
Pakistan is heading toward a serious political crisis as the newly
elected, but confused, Parliament dominated by defiant anti-Musharraf
forces refuses to accept his package of constitutional amendments
saying they have reduced the status of Parliament to a rubber
stamp and have given the President veto powers over the collective
will of the people.
The leading Opposition party of Benazir Bhutto, new parliamentary
religious group the MMA, exiled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s
Party PML-N and many democratic groups and independents have declared
that they would not accept the “amended” 1973 Constitution.
The immediate crisis would be over what law the new members of
Parliament should take their oath: the original 1973 constitution
or its amended version. “The very first day could trigger
a bitter conflict and Musharraf has decided that he would not
summon the Assembly until this matter is resolved,” officials
said in Islamabad.
The
Law Minister has confirmed that the original date for Assembly
to meet, Nov 1 has now been extended to middle of the month and
analysts expect more delays if the deadlock remains unresolved.
The
most serious threat would be posed to General Musharraf personally
as anti-Musharraf political parties and leaders have recently
been given a massive vote of confidence by the people and any
action against them could trigger street riots. Persistence of
the conflict could force an in-house change within the army, making
Musharraf an scapegoat and to provide the army with a face-saving
dignified exit from the present messy situation.
This plainly
means the deadlock would continue until either of the side gives
in. “It would be very difficult for General Musharraf to
handle the situation and if the situation worsens, his own position
inside the Army could be challenged and jeopardized,” analysts
said.
“PPP cannot sacrifice the party policy or principle for
the sake of the formation of the government. We do not accept
General Musharraf as President in uniform at any cost,”
Benazir Bhutto told her party leaders in Dubai. This is a much
harder line than originally indicated by her party leader Amin
Fahim who repeatedly called for a national government.
But there were strong indications that Fahim was working for a
coalition of all the parties against the constitutional amendments
and if such an alliance was formed, General Musharraf would be
effectively blocked, forcing either or another General to impose
Martial Law in the country.
“The goose of General Musharraf appears to have been cooked,”
an analyst said in Washington, elaborating: “He has messed
up things so much that now it has become imperative for the army
to extricate itself and that can be done only by some one else
and not by Musharraf.”
The Musharraf Government, meanwhile maintained that the only oath
available to the new legislators was under the changed constitution.
The Government, in fact, went ahead to print new copies of the
1973 Constitution to be handed over to the members of National
and Provincial Assemblies for the oath.
Analysts saw the oath issue as the first clash between the military
government and the elected representatives and experts described
it as critical to the developing situation.
Benazir Bhutto summoned her key party leaders to Dubai to discuss
the scenario as she maintains that she will not be a part of the
Musharraf set up and would prefer to stay in the Opposition, either
inside the new House or even outside.
She is supported by the Nawaz Sharif legislators and the MMA,
whose leader, Qazi Hussain Ahmed has refused to accept the National
Security Council, proposed in the amended constitution, as a supra-Parliamentary
body.
Qazi is also not interested in joining a coalition government
with pro-Musharraf elements and by nominating his colleague radical
Taliban supporter Maulana Fazlur Rehman as the candidate for the
Prime Minister’s slot, Qazi has effectively declared that
MMA was not interested in going into the government.
Bhutto has meanwhile taken a very firm and tough line against
the Musharraf regime in her party meetings in Dubai. “There
would be no compromise on 1973 Constitution,” she is reported
to have said which practically means Musharraf is not going to
let the National Assembly convene unless he was sure his legal
and constitutional position was safe.
Benazir said if Gen Musharraf was sincere in the restoration of
democratic dispensation then he should immediately withdraw the
amendments and put them before parliament for consideration. She
has told her party to play its due role in the National Assembly
on the Opposition benches.
“PPP cannot sacrifice the party policy or principle for
the sake of the formation of the government,” she was quoted
as saying.
She made it clear that her party desires to take part in the formation
of the government and talks are going in this regard but they
would not compromise on principles and would not join hands with
any party which wants to prolong dictatorship in the country.
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