A litmus test for Army’s neutrality

[LRE]

A litmus test for Army’s neutrality




Friday, August 08, 2008
News Analysis

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Asif Ali Zardari’s credibility, the Army’s neutrality and the present Supreme Court’s responsibility would be put to severe test as the coalition partners decided to impeach President Musharraf and get the deposed judges restored as agreed in the Murree Declaration.

What was supposed to have been achieved during the initial days and weeks of the coalition government is now finally being done as the political forces, the civil society, including the legal fraternity and the media, agree that Pakistan cannot move forward unless these two objectives are achieved.

“We have burnt our boats to achieve what the people wanted us to achieve despite all sorts of risks,” a PPP source said, seeking the media’s support to foil the possible conspiracies, including the use of 58(2)b by the fading but frustrated President Musharraf.

Many in the coalition fear that the president might try to dissolve the assembly and dismiss the government but agree that this would only be possible if he has the support of Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

A key adviser to President Musharraf when contacted told this correspondent on condition of not being named that the beleaguered occupant of the presidency has no intention to invoke 58(2)b.

Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in his recent background interaction with a select group of media persons reassured his complete neutrality and showed no interest whatsoever in politics and political affairs.

Kayani did well to keep the Army and the intelligence agencies from influencing the Feb 18 general elections in the country. Now at this stage Kayani’s role would be crucial if the president, who is also the appointing authority as far as the Army chief is concerned, seeks Army’s support to invoke 58(2)-b at a time when the ruling coalition while responding to the mandate they were given in the elections, moves to impeach the president.

Recently some prominent retired generals, including Gen Aslam Beg and Lt-Gen Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani while talking to this correspondent, have shown their complete faith in the Army chief’s neutrality and believed that Gen Ashfaq Kayani would not support Musharraf if the latter moves to dissolve the assembly and dismisses the government.

Aslam Beg had even said if Musharraf exercises his powers under Article 58(2)-b of the Constitution, his orders would not be implemented and he (Musharraf) would cut a sorry figure.

Former COAS Gen Aslam Beg was of the view that Army’s support had always been secured by former presidents to smoothly exercise their powers under Article 58(2)-b of the Constitution, adding keeping in view actions and directives of the incumbent Army chief he does not see the Army supporting President Musharraf to remove government and dissolve the National Assembly.

Beg said Gen Kayani is a professional soldier, who has depoliticised the Army, besides ensuring the institution’s neutrality during last general elections which, according to Beg, were to be rigged by Musharraf but it could not happen because of the Army chief.

Another general, Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani had told The News that he personally knows the incumbent Army chief so he could vouch on his professionalism and neutrality. The retired general believed that Musharraf’s exit is a must for the future of Pakistan.

Another cause of worry for some members of the coalition is the role of the present Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. The apprehensions are the president would try to influence the present Supreme Court to spoil the implementation of the Thursday’s agreement. A senior PPP leader apprehended that the Supreme Court may issue a stay order in either of the two cases, President’s impeachment and deposed judges’ restoration.

The issue was also discussed in the coalition partners’ last two days marathon discussions where it was agreed that only with the connivance of the establishment the president could try to exploit the institution of judiciary for his vested interest.

The controversy about the status of the law ministry’s notifications for the re-appointment of eight deposed judges of the Sindh High Court, now held in abeyance by the prime minister, is also bothering the coalition partners.

One of the senior most judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, has recently said in public that he would support the restoration of the deposed judges to the Nov 2 situation.

Another senior judge of the Supreme Court has also assured this correspondent in a background meeting that the present Supreme Court would not create any mess if the government decides to restore the deposed judges.

However, above all the role of PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari would be very important to implement the most vital tasks set by the coalition without any further delay.

Because of his recent repeated backtracking the credibility of the PPP leader has suffered greatly. It was apprehended by the media and others whether he would go by his word this time or would repeat what he did in the past.

Zardari’s own party men agree that the PPP and its leadership faced a great decline in their popularity graph during the recent months for not fulfilling their public pledges of restoring the judges and dragging its feet from taking on the president.

On March 9, 2008, the day when the Murree Declaration was signed by Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the former attained new heights of his popularity. But later because of his backtracking from the Murree Accord, he found himself amongst the unpopular leaders while Nawaz Sharif’s graph continued to rise.

Everyone agrees that this is another opportunity available with Asif Ali Zardari to regain his lost credibility and popularity by sincerely pursuing what he committed before the nation on Thursday.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=16494