International

`Courts cannot question referendum order'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD APRIL 10. The Presidential Referendum Order promulgated by Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as the Chief Executive of Pakistan provides that no court, tribunal or other authority could call in question the validity of any provision of the order, or action taken thereunder.

The order empowers the Pakistan Election Commission to hold a referendum on April

30, "to give mandate to General Pervez Musharraf to serve the nation as President for the period of five years.''

The Referendum Order provides that any citizen, who has attained the age of 18 on or before April 30, and has a valid identity card, will be free to cast his vote in any polling station of his choice, indicating that no voters' list would be used in the referendum.

``The whole of Pakistan should be a single constituency and every voter be entitled to cast his vote at a polling station of his choice, regardless of his residence,'' the Order says.

The question, which was formally released to the press, asks the voters: " For consolidating the local government system; establishment of democracy; continuation of reforms; end to sectarianism and fundamentalism; and fulfilment of Quaid-i-Azam's concept of Pakistan, would you like to elect President General Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan for five years''.

The question will be in Urdu and Sindhi.

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