ISLAMABAD, May 20: President Pervez Musharraf on Friday denied a minister’s statement that he would seek another term of office after the present one expires in 2007. “This is a personal opinion and not my opinion, and I have never said anything in this regard,” he said when asked to comment on Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s statement on the matter.
“I haven’t thought future beyond that,” Gen Musharraf said in reply to a question after his speech to the concluding session of a six-day Safma conference. The president parried a question on whether he would give up his army uniform in 2007 and contest the presidential election as a civilian.
Gen Musharraf said since he had been pinned down for a specific response “my answer is yes and no”. Though parliament members form Pakistani opposition parties had participated in all previous sessions of the conference none of them was present during General Musharraf’s address.
Some parliament members the People’s Party Parliamentarians were present at the beginning of the last session, with one of them, National Assembly member Sherry Rehman, being one of the presidium at the time, they all quietly left the conference hall before the president arrived there wearing a business suit rather than the general’s uniform.
MEETING: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday attended a meeting on periodic review of country’s foreign policy, APP adds.
They appreciated the efforts of the ministry of foreign affairs in advancing the national objectives through engagement of major powers, South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, the European Union and the Middle East.
President Musharraf’s forthcoming visit to the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand and prime minister’s upcoming visit to Turkey also came under discussion. The outcome of foreign leaders’ visits to Pakistan was discussed.—APP
