JUP outlines strategy to stop Musharraf’s re-election
By Mahmood Zaman
LAHORE, Jan 21: Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) and other component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal have finalised a comprehensive strategy to stop President Pervez Musharraf from securing votes from the sitting assemblies for a possible re-election, JUP chief Maulana Shah Mohammad Ans Noorani said here on Sunday.
“We will dispense with or sufficiently curtail the president’s electoral college by seeking dissolution of the NWFP legislature and also by walking out of the coalition government in Balochistan, in addition to forcing en bloc resignations by opposition MNAs and MPAs,” the Maulana told a news conference at the Lahore Press Club.
He said the PPP and PML-N were also in “total” agreement with the MMA strategy of quitting the national and provincial legislatures if and when Gen Pervez Musharraf sought re-election.
Explaining that what he said was an agreed MMA line of action, Mr Noorani said the MMA would ask the NWFP governor to dissolve the provincial assembly and the governor will be bound to do so on the advice of the chief minister, as provided in the 1973 Constitution. Simultaneously, he said, the MMA’s provincial legislators would resign from their seats.
He said in the ‘next step’ the MMA would quit the coalition government in Balochistan, besides the provincial legislature. "That will be the time when Maulana Fazlur Rehman will relinquish the office of the leader of opposition in the National Assembly followed by resignations of all MMA MNAs and MPAs from Punjab and Sindh legislatures. This will complete our mission as Gen Pervez Musharraf will be left with no electoral college to get himself elected from the same assemblies for second time", he added.
Maulana said the second presidential vote from same assemblies is unconstitutional, particularly when the tenure of legislatures is to complete in few months. He said an assembly which is to remain functional for a month or so could not elect a president for another term of five years. This would not only be unconstitutional but also apolitical and the re-election would badly lack political and constitutional credibility.
He said President's uniform is also a big question and it is up to Gen Musharraf to answer. He said the General has used the MMA for his first election and later backed out of his commitment. The MMA would not allow itself to be deceived again. He said the president could not retain uniform and 'sherwani' together.
In reply to a question, he said the MMA is a united alliance and its unity would remain intact in the next general election. "Qazi Husain Ahmad is our president and will continue to head the MMA," he added.
Later, speaking at Mujahid-i-Millat conference, Maulana Noorani said the country is passing through a major constitutional, political and economic crisis.He said the cost of living is mounting and the country is in the grip on lawlessness, unemployment, corruption and terrorism.
He said the country's Islamic identity is being undermined and efforts are afoot to make Pakistan a secular state. The country is being ruled by an individual and parliament and other state institutions have been being destroyed. He said the MMA would soon launch a movement to rid Pakistan of despotic rule.
JUP leader Qari Zawwar Bahadur and others also spoke on the occasion.
