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| January 04, 2008 | Friday | Zilhaj 24, 1428 |
ICG wants Musharraf to make way for elected govt
“After Bhutto’s murder: a way forward for Pakistan”, the latest report the ICG released here on Thursday stressed the need for international assistance to investigate Benazir’s assassination in a thorough and credible way.
It is only possible through an “independent fixed-deadline” probe backed by a United Nations Security Council mandate, similar to the commission examining the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, the group argues.
Participation of experts from the US and the UK, two close allies of Mr Musharraf, in a domestic Pakistani investigation would not be enough to assuage public concerns, it warns. “Bhutto’s death has drawn the battle lines even more clearly between Musharraf’s military-backed regime and Pakistan’s moderate majority, which will settle for nothing less than genuine parliamentary democracy,” says Mark Schneider, Crisis Group’s senior vice-president.
The group agrees with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision to postpone the parliamentary election scheduled for Jan 8 to Feb 18 -- but only if additional steps are taken so that the delay contributes to the creation of conditions for free and fair elections and the restoration of democracy.
These include appointment, in consultation with the political parties, of caretaker governments at federal and provincial levels; full restoration of the constitution; and restoration of judicial independence, including reappointment of the judges Musharraf dismissed because they would not do his bidding in November when he declared martial law.
The ICG says suicide attacks, political assassination and an expansion of terrorist and jihadi presence are all already occurring under Musharraf’s rule. There is no objective reason to anticipate that his departure would worsen the instability that already exists. Nor would it be likely to weaken Pakistan’s cooperation against terrorism.
Nor should nuclear weapons, which are well controlled by the military establishment, be at risk of falling into the hands of extremists.
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