Defiant Mush vows to thwart ruling parties' moves to oust him

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Aug 6 (PTI) A defiant Pakistan President
Pervez Musharraf Wednesday vowed to use all his constitutional
powers to thwart efforts to remove him from office after the
ruling coalition closed ranks on his possible impeachment.

Warning that any move to impeach him could
"destabilise the country", 64-year-old Musharraf, who abruptly
cancelled his visit to China to attend the Olympic Games
opening, told leaders of his ally P.M.L.(Q.) that he would
continue to play his constitutional role as the head of state.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told
reporters that Musharraf, who was due to fly to Beijing, had
called off his visit due to "developments at home", as the
ruling coalition allies Pakistan People's Party and P.M.L.(N.)
went into a huddle for the second day to decide his fate.

Following the meeting, P.M.L.-Q. leaders Chaudhry
Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the Leader of
Opposition in the National Assembly, told T.V. news channels
that Musharraf had said he would use his constitutional powers
to counter any move to impeach him. They did not give details.

Differences over handling of Musharraf and
reinstatement of judges sacked by the president under a state
of emergency last November have strained relations between the
two ruling coalition allies with Nawaz Sharif's P.M.L.(N.)
quitting the cabinet in May.

The P.P.P., which has refrained from taking on
Musharraf head on after formation of government in March, now
appears to have given in to pressure from Sharif, who was
ousted by the former General in a bloodless coup in 1999.
After marathon talks, P.P.P. Chairman Asif Ali Zardari
has reportedly agreed in principle to impeach the President if
all partners in the coalition assured their support for such a
move.

As Musharraf was closeted with his constitutional and
legal advisors to forge a strategy to counter any move to
impeach him, Nawaz Sharif's P.M.L.(N.) Wednesday warned the
Presidnet might dissolve Parliament to remain in power.

Under the controversial Article 58(2b) of the
Constitution, Musharraf still has the power to dissolve
parliament and dismiss the elected Prime Minister.

A constitutional reforms package drawn up by the
P.P.P. envisages stripping the President of these powers.

Senior P.M.L.-N. leader Ahsan Iqbal, a close aide of
party chief Nawaz Sharif, said the parliament had the
constitutional right to impeach the President "at any time" if
a majority of members felt that he should be removed.

The military had no role in this matter, he said.

Iqbal, however, did not rule out the possibility of
Musharraf using his powers to dissolve the parliament.

Noting that Musharraf had "destroyed the judiciary" by
imposing emergency last year at a time when the judges were
set to rule against the President, Iqbal said: "He (Musharraf)
might make such a commando attack on parliament but then all
democratic forces, civil society and the people of Pakistan
will face it and we will refuse to accept it."

Iqbal also said this should be the "final round"
between Musharraf and democratic forces, and it would lead to
a "final and ultimate victory for democracy in the country".

Sources privy to Tuesday's meeting between Zardari
and Sharif told the Daily Times newspaper that the agreement
came about after P.M.L.-N. leader Khwaja Asif assured Zardari
that the coalition partners had sufficient strength to impeach
Musharraf if the P.P.P. took the initiative.