ISLAMABAD, April 3: The language used in the seven-line handout which disclosed the most important news of the year that the NSC/cabinet had approved scheme of holding of ‘referendum on important national issues’ has created confusion for the public opinion leaders.
The handout did not mention as to what were the issues of national importance nor it explained it would ultimately lead to the election of Gen Pervez Musharraf as future president of the country.
The political parties who are opposed to the idea of referendum, base their plea that since the constitution clearly lays down procedure of president’s election through an elected parliament and provincial assemblies the method of getting Musharraf elected through referendum was unconstitutional.
The authors of the handout apparently have taken care of the said objection and kept the language within the constitutional ambit.
A number of politicians asked to comment/react said: “if the real intention was to hold referendum on important national issues without a trick to elect president then no one would be able to object to it since it would become constitutionally a correct step”, they said.
Akram Zaki a former bureaucrat and senior vice-president of the PML said article 48(6) was specific and can not be used for the election of president as method to elect president has clearly been laid down in constitution under article 41(3)and (4).
He, however, said like Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed has pointed out that the president could seek people’s opinion through a referendum under article 48(6) for instance the people could be asked to tell whether America could be given Pakistani bases for indefinite period or whether FBI could be allowed to conduct raids to NAB suspects in Pakistan.
Qazi Hussain said, “our unanimous stand to boycott the referendum meant to elect Musharraf as president for another term is unchanged”.
He however expressed his doubt about the corrected language used in the official handout and said: “I have been told by the insiders that the referendum would be used as vehicle of election of Gen Musharraf as president through a direct question, “do you elect me president”. But this he added would be asked after a detailed preamble containing the past performance and future plans of the military ruler.
Raja Zafarul Haq chairman of the PML was also confused to offer any comment when the contents of the official handout were read out to him, as he said if there was no trick in the language used for the justification of the referendum it could be accepted.
He, however, said: his party and almost all other major political parties including religious organizations will oppose a referendum which would be used to elect Gen Musharraf as president for another five years.
Similarly, Farahatullah Babar the right hand man of PPP’s life chairperson Benazir Bhutto said that the PPP has already rejected the proposed referendum and will continue to boycott it in whatever form.
