The Hindu : Musharraf to remain as Army chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 09, 2003

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International

Musharraf to remain as Army chief

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD JUNE 8. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, today declared that he was determined to stay as Army chief whether "someone liked it or not" even as the Opposition made it known that they would not let the Government get away with the budget session of Parliament till their demands were met.

In a bizarre spectacle, the Pakistan Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz, on Saturday, read out the first budget of the Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali Government in both Houses of Parliament amid incessant desk thumping and catcalls from Opposition benches. Not a word of what the Minister spoke could be heard in the din.

The Government and the Opposition have been engaged in a tug of war for several weeks now over the validity of the controversial laws promulgated by Gen. Musharraf and his own continuation as Army chief as well as President.

All efforts for reconciliation have failed as Gen. Muharraf has showed no inclination to give up either of the posts.

In the Senate, Prime Minister Jamali, in a bid to mollify the Opposition, announced that the doors for negotiations were not closed and invited them for another round of talks.

However, after Gen. Musharraf's categorical declaration today there is little chance of any understanding.

Addressing a convention of lawyers in Lahore, the President dwelt at length on the tussle and asserted that his continuation as Army chief was in the interest of the nation.

He chided the Opposition for its inability to distinguish between national and individual interest.

For the Jamali Government, the joy of having presented the budget without many hassles has barely lasted for a few hours. There is little doubt that trouble is in store for the Government when the two Houses open on Tuesday to take up the budget and the Finance Bill for debate and adoption.

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