Pakistan: Musharraf amends law giving president power to lift emergency


Islamabad, 16 Nov. (AKI/DAWN) - Pakistan's president General Pervez Musharraf, as head of the army, has given the president the power to lift the emergency.

He made the amendment to the provisional constitution on Wednesday but the order wil be deemed to have taken effect from the moment emergency was declared on 3 November.

"The importance of the amendment is that the power to lift the emergency is now vested in the office of the president," Pakistan's attorney general Malik Qayyum told the Pakistani daily Dawn on Thursday.

Political observers, however, say the amendment reflects Gen Musharraf’s desire to rule with the powers of emergency even after hanging up his uniform.

Qayyum claimed that Musharraf would quit his army post before December 1.

“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 said.

He said the emergency was expected to be lifted within two months and that it had been imposed primarily to deal with extremists.

Former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif both deplored the announcement saying that it indicated that the emergency rule might not be lifted even after Gen Musharraf removed his uniform.

“It is sad,” said Sharif. “See, what they have done to the country! Who is the chief of staff to delegate powers to the president? Sad. Very sad,” said Sharif.