 ISLAMABAD — President Pervez Musharraf has ruled out resignation “under present circumstances” adding that he is not thinking of going abroad in exile. “I will take a decision if at any time I felt that I cannot contribute anything of value to the country,” Musharraf told senior journalists in first interaction with media since February 18 elections.
He said he is an elected president and can be removed only through constitutional means by two-thirds majority of the Parliament. He would accept whatever the parliament decides within parameters of the constitution.
| Not that Perv has ever seen the constitution carved in stone ... |
Expressing his concern over current down-turn in economy, Musharraf emphasised the need for urgent actions to stem the rot. He said the country is passing through a critical phase. "Unless some emergency measures are taken to stop the slide, I am visualising a horrific future for the country.”
In this context he reverted back to the question of quitting and said if the country was set on this disastrous path, “I would not like to preside over the downfall of Pakistan.”
On the Constitution Package that is aiming at clipping presidential powers, Musharraf reiterated that the parliament being sovereign it could make constitutional changes. “However, I would not like to be made a useless vegetable,” he observed adding that he would then like to play golf than stay as president.
| He could join Kimmie, see which of them gets more holes-in-one ... |
Musharraf defended all his actions and appeared to be shifting the blame of economic slide to the newly elected government and partly on international factors including rise in oil prices. He said till last year the fundamentals of the economy were sound and the same situation persists even today. It was up to the new government to take measures to overcome fresh challenges, he said while extending his full support to the prime minister in this endeavour.
| Because Paki-land was an economic juggernaut until the last election ... |
He denied that he had sacked sixty judges. He said these judges did not take oath under the new Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) he promulgated after imposition of emergency and were thus out of job.
| Real important distinction, there, Perv, seeeing it was you who put the PCO through. |
If the parliament reinstates them through two-thirds majority he would accept that decision, Musharraf said but did not explain how the orders of one man to dismiss judges needed two-thirds majority of the parliament to undo them. He also defended the emergency and repeated his argument that the judiciary had set itself in confrontation with other institutions which compelled him to impose the emergency.
| Yup, made him do it, they did ... |
Musharraf said terrorism and economic challenges were two major areas of concern which needed very delicate handling. Nobody should play politics with these two problems otherwise consequences would be disastrous.
He emphasised the need for reconciliation instead of confrontation. He told a questioner that he would not mind meeting even Nawaz Sharif but reminded the journalists that Sharif is using foul language and inciting people against him.
Asked if he would use Article 58-2b to dissolve the assembly if the situation went out of control, Musharraf said: “I am not an unstable person to do that.”
| But he could be forced to do it, no doubt, those hurt feelings could bubble over any time ... |
About the demand of his trial by ex-servicemen including retired general Gulzar Kayani, Musharraf said this group was violating “military ethos, culture and discipline”. He said he could expose each one of them but would not indulge in this practice. It was up to the army chief to ensure that army's discipline and ethos is not violated.
| And Perv's not the army chief any longer, and the new army chief has been awful quiet lately ... |
|