PESHAWAR, Nov 29: The provincial chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, Sirajul Haq, said on Thursday the nation hoped that Gen Pervez Musharraf would be restoring the Constitution as one of the first jobs after taking the oath as the civilian president.

Speaking at a function here, he said the general was reluctant to hang up his uniform but it was the relentless struggle by lawyers, journalists and political forces that had forced him to take that decision.

“The way Gen Musharraf removed his military uniform he would soon be forced to leave presidency,” a press release issued here quoted Mr Haq as saying.

He hoped that the army would not repeat mistakes of Gen (retd) Musharraf, otherwise its repercussion would be very serious for the nation.

He urged the newly-appointed army chief to focus on professional matters and not to indulge in politics.

He asked political forces and civil society to continue struggle for the restoration of the Constitution, supremacy of the judiciary, democratic institutions and freedom of press.