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Mush calls House meet President General Musharraf has summoned the National Assembly session to meet, ostensibly to approve a set of legislation to untie legal knots emerging from the supra-constitutional imposition of emergency last Saturday. Musharraf told diplomats on Monday that he needs to resolve certain legal issues before making a final decision on holding of elections. According to sources a law removing impediments in Musharraf’s election is on the top of assembly agenda. The law is prepared on the pattern of earlier dual office Bill adopted by Parliament in 2004 to allow General Musharraf to renege on
his pledge to doff uniform towards the end of that year and let him keep both offices of president and army chief. The exception expires on November 15 and would be extended indefinitely. Additionally it will take care of a killing argument advanced by barrister Aitzaz Ahsan before the Supreme Court that the controversial Bill merely permitted the President to retain army office but did not exempt the army chief to indulge in political activities, including contesting for any public office. The proposed legislation will take retrospective effect to legalise October 6 election of General Musharraf through outgoing assemblies while still in uniform. Attorney General Qayyum Malik has already hinted at this option and a draft is now ready for adoption by Parliament. The upper House of Parliament, the Senate, will also be convened within next couple of days to ratify legislation approved by the assembly. A joint session of the two Houses would also be summoned later to approve the promulgation of emergency after removing a constitutional hitch under which the emergency can only be proclaimed by the President and is subject to a review by the Supreme Court. Musharraf imposed emergency as army chief to avoid these complications and to assume the unprecedented power of amending the Constitution. Another law being contemplated is to provide legal basis to the reconstitution of the Supreme Court in order to nullify the ruling given by a seven-member Bench headed by the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and comprising six other defiant judges. it declared the emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) as illegal and ultra vires of the Constitution.
Bhutto reaches
Islamabad Former premier and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto today flew to Islamabad from Karachi and vowed to build a national consensus to compel General Musharraf to rescind his emergency order, doff his uniform and hold elections on schedule. Benazir landed in Islamabad amid stringent security after eight years of self-exile for what appears to be a very busy schedule. In her brief chat with mediapersons on arrival and prior to departure from Karachi, Benazir said her stay in the capital does not include any scheduled meeting with Musharraf. Informed sources, however, dismissed her disclaimer, saying both sides are likely to be locked in some intense direct and indirect engagement to resolve issues relating to their future understanding. Issues like caretaker government, election schedule and legal and political implications of the emergency would figure prominently in these contacts. Benazir has convened a meeting tomorrow of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) that was virtually disbanded in July last when its second dominant component, the Nawaz Sharif faction of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) spearheaded formation of a bigger opposition grouping, the All-Parties Democratic Movement (APDM). She will also address a public meeting in Rawalpindi on November 9. Benazir charted a lone course to cut a deal with General Musharraf that facilitated Musharraf’s election through outgoing assemblies and pardoned Benazir's corruption cases. She told reporters that the ARD meeting would work out a plan for uniting the Opposition and democratic forces to oppose Musharraf’s mini-martial law. For this purpose an all parties conference would be convened soon, she said adding that she has already met PML senior leader Ishaq Dar and spoke to Nawaz Sharif, nationalist leaders like Mahmud Khan Achakzai and Hasil Bizenjo in this context. “It is time all democratic forces combine to restore civilian democratic rule in the country through a fair and free elections.” She said the ruling coalition is conspiring to rig the elections and Musharraf has imposed emergency for this purpose. Benazir's mission received a major boost from Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N president and brother of exiled premier Nawaz Sharif, who confirmed in London on Monday that his party is in touch with Bhutto and other political leaders to forge a common front against the emergency. Benazir's arrival coincides with the convening of a crucial session of the National Assembly for Wednesday. Apart from ruling coalition comprising PML-Q, MQM and others, only PPP is represented in the House after members of all other opposition parties and groups submitted their resignation prior to the presidential election in a bid to divest it of any legitimacy and credibility. PPP abstained from voting.
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