The Hindu : Musharraf order targets Benazir, Sharif

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 07, 2002

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Musharraf order targets Benazir, Sharif

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD JULY 6. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, tonight issued an order barring any person from holding the office of Prime Minister for more than two terms.

The order issued by Gen. Musharraf in his capacity as the Chief Executive comes into immediate effect. There is little doubt that it is directed against the former Prime Ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, and could be interpreted as a last-ditch effort by the military Government to wean away the fence-sitters in the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), led by the two former Prime Ministers, from their leaders.

Gen. Musharraf's order said that irrespective of the fact whether or not a person has completed full term in office as Prime Minister it would be counted as one-term. Both Ms. Bhutto and Mr. Sharif have had two stints as Prime Ministers though neither of them has had a full-term even once.

It is not clear what prompted the Musharraf regime to issue such an order at a juncture when the package of constitutional reforms and the amendments to the political parties have been widely criticised and the Pakistan President has been advised to give up his `go-alone' policy.

Some of the proposed constitutional amendments and provisions added to the Political Parties Act — through an Ordinance — last week were seen as measures aimed at blocking the return of Ms. Bhutto and Mr. Sharif to the centre stage of Pakistani politics. These included disqualification of persons who were in the category of `loan defaulters' from not only contesting elections but also holding party posts. Already, there is a ban on persons who have been convicted by a court of law from holding any party post. Ms. Bhutto and Mr. Sharif already stand disqualified from contesting elections and holding party posts under the amended law.

Political observers and Pakistan watchers are of the view that the measures contemplated by Gen. Musharraf in the name of "political reforms" have polarised the society like never before and do not augur well for the future of the country.

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