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By B. Muralidhar Reddy
In an interview to a panel of editors from the largest media group in Pakistan, Jang, Gen. Musharraf sought to reassure all concerned over the legal and constitutional validity of the referendum that he would be guided entirely on the subject by the Supreme Court. The Pakistan Supreme Court is scheduled to start hearings from Monday on a number of petitions challenging the legal aspects of the April 30 referendum. Implied in the observations made by Gen. Musharraf's latest interview is the suggestion that he would submit himself as the Presidential candidate before the National and Provincial Assemblies after the October general elections. There has been a great deal of concern in political circles as well as the civil society that Gen. Musharraf has opted the route taken by the two previous military dictators — Ayub Khan and Zia-ul-Haq. Ambiguity on the part of Gen. Musharraf in answering some direct questions related to the outcome of the referendum at his press conference in the national capital last week only helped strengthen the impression that he was acting no different from his predecessors. To that extent, his observations help clear the clouds. ``Let me take my decision after the referendum. I think it is a constitutional step and the constitutional provisions will be followed on the question of presidential election," he told the group in response to a specific question. Gen. Musharraf was also categorical that his Government had no intention of touching the key provisions related to the presidential election and parliamentary form of government in the suspended 1973 constitution. The President said his regime has no intention of banning any of the political parties. He did, however, concede that a proposal to ban a person from holding the office of Prime Minister for a third term was under consideration. The proposal should be a matter of concern to the two former Prime Ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Enough hints were given by Gen. Musharraf in the interview that he would like to see friendly assemblies at the national and provincial level supporting the package of economic and political reforms initiated by his regime. He said that if the forces opposed to him start ``get him'' activities in Parliament that would be "most unfortunate'' but if they strengthened reforms and restructured and turned around the economy, he would provide strength to them. ``Anything above 30 per cent turnout in the forthcoming referendum would be good, though I admit that the statistics of total voters is still to be gathered. Since it is not an election but to hold referendum on the basis of a single constituency, we should help maximum people exercise their right in the referendum,'' he said. In response to a specific question on the possible scenario if Ms. Bhutto and Mr. Sharif were to return to Pakistan and contest elections, if necessary from jail, Gen. Musharraf said that under the law of the land if they are qualified to contest, his government would not come in the way. He promised to give full powers to the future Prime Minister with a rider. "If the House elects any person opposing me and he starts a confrontation with me, the situation would take us back to pre-99 situation. That would be most unfortunate,'' he told the group. When pressed whether in that case he would go for the Martial Law, Gen. Musharraf said, "there is no question of declaring Martial Law. We will follow the law of the land, and the judgment of the Supreme Court''. Asked about allowing public rallies by political parties, he said it was a matter left entirely to the provincial governors. On his continuation as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), he said: "Though I am the COAS, the Army is being run by the VCOAS. At the moment I am not doing it except for important matters, as we are creating checks and balances for all including the President, the Prime Minister and the COAS. The VCOAS will act as the COAS in the future, and he will represent the Army in the National Security Council, and if the system works, we will look into it after that.''
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