By Muhammad Najeeb
Islamabad, Sep 27 (IANS) If elected for a second consecutive term in November, President Pervez Musharraf will become Pakistan’s third military ruler to win a second term, the others being Field Marshal Ayub Khan and General Zia-ul Haq.
The other two ruled the country for about 11 years each. Musharraf will complete eight years in power next month.
He came to power in October 1999 after overthrowing the elected government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup. He termed himself chief executive for the first 18 months before naming himself president just before he travelled to India for the failed summit at Agra in 2001.
None of Pakistan’s civilian presidents has ever been elected for a second term. In fact, only Fazal Illahi Chaudhry could complete his five-year term. All the others had to resign for one reason or the other before completing their terms.
The two houses of parliament – the Senate and the National Assembly – and the four provincial assemblies make up the electoral college that chooses Pakistan’s president for a five-year term. He cannot serve for more than two consecutive terms.
The opposition now contends that Musharraf has already served his two terms – first when he assumed the office in 2001 after the resignation of president Rafiq Tarar and the second after he was elected through a referendum in 2002.
The president’s position, according to the 1972 constitution, has traditionally been that of a figurehead, with the real power being with the prime minister. However, changes in the constitution enforced by successive military rulers have altered the powers and privileges associated with the office of president.
The current constitution gives the president reserve powers – subject to Supreme Court approval – to dissolve the National Assembly and dismiss the government.
The president also chairs the National Security Council (NSC) – that Musharraf formed – and appoints the heads of the army, navy and air force. This authority was earlier with the prime minister.
Musharraf is the 12th president of the country, if one includes Wasim Sajjad, who twice served as acting president.
Though Pakistan was created in 1947 when the departing British rulers partitioned the sub-continent, the country became a republic only in 1956. It was in that year that Iskandar Mirza became the country’s first president.
In 1958, Mirza abrogated the constitution and declared martial law. A few weeks later, General Ayub Khan overthrew him in a bloodless coup and declared himself president.
The constitution was revised and the president became the ruler of Pakistan. The constitution also stipulated that the president be elected by the people. In elections held in 1963, Ayub Khan defeated Fatima Jinnah, sister of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Ayub Khan, who had promoted himself to field marshal, remained president until 1969 when he passed the baton to General Yahya Khan.
Yahya Khan stepped down after the India-Pakistani war of 1971 that saw the creation of Bangladesh and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto became the new president.
Bhutto introduced a new constitution in 1973 that reduced the president to a figurehead and gave all powers to the prime minister. Bhutto then stepped down as president and became the prime minister.
In 1977, General Zia-ul Haq toppled Bhutto and declared himself president. The presidency again became the premier position in the Pakistani government.
Zia introduced new amendments in the constitution that gave sweeping powers to the president. Zia died in 1988 in a plane crash and the prime minister’s office regained leadership.
In between, civilian presidents Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Farooq Leghari also exercised their powers to dismiss three governments. Ishaq Khan first dismissed Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1990 and Nawaz Sharif’s government in 1993.
Farooq Leghari, who was handpicked by Benazir, dismissed her government in 1996.
Musharraf’s 1999 coup returned the executive powers to the president’s office. National and provincial elections were held in 2002.
In December 2003, the constitution’s 17th amendment partially restored the president’s reserve powers but made them subject to Supreme Court approval or a veto within 30 days.
In January 2004, the electoral college passed a vote of confidence in Musharraf, backdating this to 2002, and he was “deemed to be elected” as president. Musharraf’s term as president is set to end on Nov 15.