By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan’s military strongman Pervez Musharraf, who declared an emergency in his capacity as army chief, has transferred the power to lift the measure to the president’s office that he also holds.
This is being seen as a move to continue the emergency even after he sheds his uniform and takes oath as a civilian president.
“The importance of the amendment (to the Provisional Constitution Order promulgated Nov 3) is that the power to lift the emergency now vested in the office of the president,” Dawn Friday quoted Attorney General Malik Qayyum as saying.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has slammed the move, while his predecessor Benazir Bhutto was guarded in her response.
“It is sad,” Sharif told VOA. “See, what they have done to the country! Who is the chief of staff to delegate powers to the president? Sad. Very sad.”
Bhutto said that the move needed to be studied carefully.
“It could mean that Gen Musharraf has decided to quit the army and that’s why he has given new powers to the president,” she told VOA.
The notification on the amendment to the PCO reads: “The President may revoke the Proclamation of Emergency of the 3rd day of November, 2007, on such day as he may deem fit.”
“To most people, the amendment only means that Gen. Musharraf has transferred the power from himself to himself, as he currently holds both offices of the president and the army chief. However, legal experts say it is not so simple,” Dawn said.
According to the attorney general, as Musharraf had imposed the emergency as the chief of the army staff, he wanted to lift it himself as and when required after relinquishing the military post.
“It is very simple to understand that the president wants to keep this power of lifting the emergency with him when he will no more be the army chief,” Qayyum maintained.
He said that without the amendment, the new army chief would have had the power to lift the emergency.
“But now President Musharraf would himself decide about this issue,” Qayyum said.