Removing
Musharraf From Power
By Usman Khalid
14 May, 2007
Countercurrents.org
General Musharraf holds the office
of the President as well as Chief of Army Staff illegally. The tenure
of the COAS is four years, which is not extendable. He would have retired
late 2001 or early 2002, I am not sure. He had been given three years
by the Supreme Court invoking the dubious 'Doctrine of Necessity' after
he appointed himself the Chief Executive of the country. His life was
saved by three of his colleague - the Corps Commanders in Karachi and
Rawalpindi and the Chief of General Staff at GHQ all of who have long
since retired. Apart from removing Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister, General
Musharraf has not employed the armed forces in support of his politics.
He has depended on the MQM, the political pimps in the Punjab and renegades
of the PPP to maintain himself in power. His referendum in 2001 (to
make himself President for a second term) was bogus as he was the only
candidate. Subsequent endorsement as President in 2002 by the National
and Provioncial assemblies was just as unlawful and bogus because he
was in uniform. There is absolutely no doubt that he is a usurper in
both offices and has committed an offence of 'high treason' under Article
6 of the Constitution.
There is neither cause nor opportunity for the Army to ask Musharraf
to resign until he invokes emergency or imposes martial law. The question
is, how can he be removed from his perch in power ? There are three
methods:
1. There should be challenge to his legitimacy in office as COAS and
the President in the Supreme Court. That should be done now and decision
obtained when Justice Bhawan Das is the Acting Chief Justice.
2. There should be vote in the parliament for the impeachment of Musharraf
as President for dereliction of duty in handing over Karachi to criminals.
That vote is by secret ballot and it is not required to be on party
lines. The loyalty of the members of the LOTA League MUST be put to
test; is the country and its constitution more important or the salary
of a frew remaing months of the life of the present palliament.
3. The armed forces have the means and legal authority for arresting
and punishing a crime committed by any of its members. Since Musharraf
is still in unform, he can be quite properly be arrested and tried by
Court Martial for misconduct. Leading two political parties - PML and
MQM - while in uniform is the garvest misconduct imaginable. Even more
grave is the offence of 'criminal conspiracy' in handing over the city
of Karachi to armed gangs of MQM because his 'unlawful command' to lay
a seige of the city and shoot at the those engaged in arranging or partcipating
in reception to the Chief Justice of Pakistan would not have been obeyed
by the forces of the state under his command.
The people of this country should not have to die and their homes and
businesses set ablaze because the Acting CJP, the Vice Chief of Army
Staff, and the President of the Muslim League, who each have the power
and authority to remove Musharraf from power, lacked the moral courage
to use the instrument under their control.
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