LAHORE, Sept 18: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said that parliament alone is competent to take any decision on the fate of President Pervez Musharraf's uniform and that Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's objections to the subject are unjustified.

Talking to Dawn, he said democracy meant that the opinion of the majority be respected by all and asked the MMA to follow rules of the game.

The former prime minister pointed out that if Article 63-1(d) was amended by the bicameral legislature by a simple majority, then the president would be eligible to continue holding the office of the army chief even after December 31, 2004. The ruling coalition would meet this 'formality' to authorize President Musharraf to retain both offices, he explained.

In response to a question, he said it would be decided by the parliament as to how long should the president be allowed to keep the two offices. So far, he added, no decision had been taken about the term and the view that the president should stay on as COAS for another five years was the opinion of the PML's Punjab general council.

Asked if the decision on the uniform was to be taken by the parliament then how President Musharraf was claiming that 96 per cent people wanted him in uniform, Chaudhry Shujaat said that a decision to be taken by the parliament would be deemed to have the support of the entire nation.

He said once the said amendment was made, it would mean that the entire nation had allowed President Musharraf to hold both offices.

He said it was provided in the agreement reached between the PML and the MMA on the issue of the LFO that in case Article 63-1(d) was amended then President Musharraf would be eligible to take part in politics and contest elections without waiting for a two-year period to pass which otherwise was mandatory for every government servant aspiring to take part in politics.

When it was pointed out that in no other country where parliamentary system was in practice was the president retaining the office of the army chief, Chaudhry Shujaat said he would like to tell everybody that democracy meant that the opinion of the majority be respected even if some one did not agree with it.

Asked if it would be right to conclude that the present system could not work and survive without the umbrella of Gen Musharraf, the PML president said parliament was the supreme body and competent to take any decision in the interest of the country.