KARACHI, Oct 6: Pakistan People’s Party legislators boycotted the presidential election and stayed outside the Sindh Assembly building saying that they believed Gen Pervez Musharraf was not eligible to contest elections in uniform and that the present assembly could not elect the president for a second term.
As the PPP MPAs, led by Nisar Khuhro, talked to the media in front of the assembly, police remained alert at vantage points. But no untoward incident took place.
Talking to the media, Nisar Khuhro, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Makhdoom Jameeluzzaman, Murad Ali Shah, Rafiq Engineer, Shazia Marri and others said that since Gen Musharraf was holding the office of the chief of army staff, he was not qualified to contest the election under the constitution.
He was ineligible to contest the election as he first took an oath as president on June 20, 2001, then got himself elected through a so-called referendum on April 30, 2002 and again took another oath upon relinquishing the office of chief executive on Nov 15, 2002 and got himself declared elected as president in terms of clause (8) of Article 41 of the constitution, said Mr Khuhro.
As Gen Musharraf could not hold the office for more than two consecutive terms, he was not qualified to stand for president.
Although the Supreme Court was hearing petitions on the matter and did not stall the holding of election, it restrained the authorities from announcing official results, Nisar Khuhro said that the PPP’s presence in the voting would have legitimised the process.
Mr Khuhro said the election of Gen Musharraf for president by the present assemblies was a negation of parliament’s sovereignty as having sanctified him as president for five years, the present assemblies could not elect president for two terms and usurp the right of the incoming assemblies and thereby deprive the people of the right to elect president through their representatives in the ensuing general election.
