MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 20: The AJK Legislative Assembly witnessed here on Wednesday some interesting as well as daring arguments by a senior parliamentarian from the opposition benches after he objected to the use of the words “President of Pakistan” for Gen Pervez Musharraf in a resolution by a treasury member regarding the transition of power to elected representatives in Pakistan.
“This representative house (AJKLA) expresses its satisfaction and jubilation over the restoration of democracy and prays for the nourishment of democracy and democratic institutions to play their due role in progress and prosperity of Pakistan,” read the resolution, moved by MLA Sardar Tahir Anwar.
Continuing, it also paid tribute to “President of Pakistan for restoring democracy as per his commitment, holding free and fair elections and transferring power to elected representatives.”
However, Sahibzada Mohammad Ishaq Zafar, a People’s Party leader, rose at a point of order and demanded that the words “President of Pakistan” be replaced with Gen Pervez Musharraf while the words “free and fair” be deleted so that the resolution could be adopted by the house unanimously.
The opposition, he said, did not have any objection regarding the contents of the resolution, “but since the 1973 Constitution had been restored and no Chief of Army Staff could hold the office of an elected president through the process of referendum under the Constitution,” it could not support the word president for Gen Musharraf.
“Ours is a constitutional house and we should not pass any resolution as would encourage violation of the Constitution,” Sahibzada Zafar said.
When finance minister Shah Ghulam Qadir reminded him that his (People’s Party) government (in Azad Kashmir) had been receiving Gen Musharraf as President of Pakistan and making different demands from him in the same capacity, the Sahibzada said: “We had been recognizing him (Gen Musharraf) as president and receiving him here, but at that time the Constitution was suspended and Gen Musharraf enjoyed the cover of a Supreme Court judgment.”
“Today,” he continued, “when the Constitution of 1973 stands restored Gen Musharraf cannot be treated as an elected president.”
The finance minister had to intervene again, saying that whether there was LFO in Pakistan or not, was not a matter of concern for Azad Kashmir “because we are with (the state of) Pakistan.”
Sahibzada’s arguments forced Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan to take the floor. However, in a very cautious statement he said he highly valued the sentiments of both sides, but could not help say that the AJK legislators should not indulge in controversies.
Intentionally or unintentionally, the premier also avoided referring to the general as president and instead used his name.
When the premier finished, Kashmir Committee chairman Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan remarked, though off the mike, that holding of elections had been promised by Gen Pervez Musharraf and not by President Pervez Musharraf.