NEW YORK, Sept 18: President Pervez Musharraf said on Sunday that he was not indispensable to Pakistan and expressed the hope that the existing political system in the country would continue to function even after his departure. “If you think I am indispensable I am honoured, but the country already has institutions that can run the affairs of the country,” said the president when a reporter asked if the system he had created would continue to function after him.

General Musharraf said the National Security Council that he has created would also go on to ensure that things ran smoothly after a political change.

“If the assembly does not have capable people, it is unfortunate for a nation of 150 million people. But I think there are very capable people in the system, very intelligent people.”

According to the president, if he leaves today, the Senate chairman would take over as president and later the assembly could elect a new president.

Gen Musharraf said the country had an elected prime minister who would not be affected by the departure of the head of state.

“Nothing has been done yet,” said the president when a reporter asked if he had taken the decision to imposed presidential form of government in Pakistan. He, however, said that if the National Assembly changed the constitution to bring a presidential system that would be their decision.

Gen Musharraf said if the country had a presidential system, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would have become presidents and it would have been difficult to remove them “despite the loot and plunder they had done”.

In the previous system, he said, there was a provision to remove the prime minister under 58 (2) B, but in the presidential system there was no provision for removing a corrupt ruler.

The president encouraged the PPP and the PML-N to play their roles in the national politics, but said there was no room for their leaders, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

“Democracy does not mean that people from these two families continue to rule the country. Democracy requires political parties to take charge and I believe the PPP and PML-N should do that.

Answering to a question, Gen Musharraf made it clear that Nawaz Shrif and Benazir Bhutto have been declared ineligible constitutionally saying neither they can contest elections nor to become prime minister. Pakistan is going even without Nawaz Sharif and Benazir.