US signals Zardari to remove Musharraf

[mujahideen]

US signals Zardari to remove Musharraf

By NAVEED BUTT

ISLAMABAD - The United States (US) has given green signal to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari for removing President Pervez Musharraf form his office, a reliable source told The Nation on Saturday.

According to a well-informed source, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, along with a delegation of Democratic Senators, is coming to Pakistan within the next three days to meet President Pervez Musharraf and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. "Negroponte will arrive in Pakistan with a message of US President George W Bush for President Musharraf", sources claimed.

The sources further said that Negroponte would give time frame to President Musharraf for quitting his office. The sources asserted that PPP-P President Makhdoom Amin Fahim was likely to become new President after removal of General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf.

The sources further stated that after taking green signal the PPP would give time frame, most probably till June 10, to the President to tender resignation or be ready for impeachment. "The PPP has also completed its work for impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf with two-thirds majority in the joint session of Parliament", the sources told, adding that the matter of impeachment was also discussed in the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of PPP that was held at Zardari House here on Saturday.

The sources said that the PPP leadership was in constant contact with the forward bloc of Pakistan Muslim League-Q and independent candidates including Manzoor Watto and Hamid Nasir Chattha. The sources said that most of the PML-Q parliamentarians would support the PPP for impeachment of the President.

The PPP source said that in the CEC meeting of the PPP, almost all the members had given clear-cut message to their Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to get rid of the dictator.

"In the meeting, the party Co-Chairman told the members that the President did not want to hand over powers to Parliament and he was creating many obstacles to make supremacy of Parliament impossible", the sources said.

US signals Zardari to remove Musharraf | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

 

[fatman17]

one needs 2/3rd majority to impeach the president and 2/3rd majority to pass the constitutional amendment which the PPP and their colation do not possess at this time!.

 

[mujahideen]

one needs 2/3rd majority to impeach the president and 2/3rd majority to pass the constitutional amendment which the PPP and their colation do not possess at this time!.

In the National assembly they probably do but not in the Senate. And by time they get 2/3 in the Senate they will no longer enjoy the support of the people and the government will be on its way out.

 

[Spring Onion]

In the National assembly they probably do but not in the Senate. And by time they get 2/3 in the Senate they will no longer enjoy the support of the people and the government will be on its way out.

Intrestingly Zardari has said just yesterday that in the new constitutional package PPP has perpared, the PM will be having power to give seats to minorities in the Senate, besides the appointment of the all the chiefs of the armed forces will rest with the PM.

By looking at the recent comments of Zardari one can well understand that US is all behind him.

Lets see

 

[Goodperson]

In the National assembly they probably do but not in the Senate. And by time they get 2/3 in the Senate they will no longer enjoy the support of the people and the government will be on its way out.

But what if former CJ is reinstated and he declares Musharaf as unconstitutional president ? Remember for very same reason CJ got ousted.

 

[Spring Onion]

But what if former CJ is reinstated and he declares Musharaf as unconstitutional president ? Remember for very same reason CJ got ousted.

Well Chudhary Iftikhar was the one who took oath under the first PCO imposed by President Musharraf and once again I would say it is very unfortunate that the issue of CJ was blown out of proportion as the cases against him (the ex-CJ) were never heard in the court besides all those references filed against him by the presidency were not against the law. The court only given verdict that his removal was against the law not the references filed against him.
So according to the law and constitution the –ex-CJ should face these cases in the court first and then he should carry on his personal grudges against Musharraf like Nawaz Sharif.

 

[dabong1]

RAWALPINDI: Former chief of the Steel Mills Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qayyum has advised President General Pervez Musharraf not to exercise his powers under Article 58-2(b) to dissolve parliament or change the Army leadership, adding it would plunge the country into serious crises that too would not augur well for him.

General Qayyum said the best choice for General (retd) Pervez Musharraf is to quit power as, in his view, he (president) did not enjoy the support of any faction of the society.

Qayyum, who served in the Pakistan Army for 40 years with Pervez Musharraf, was responding to questions by Dr Shahid Masood in the popular Geo programme “Meray Mutabiq”.

He disclosed that differences between General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry cropped up over the privatisation of the Steel Mills.

The ex-Steel Mills chief said when the case was being heard by a full court of the Supreme Court, President Musharraf called him (Justice Iftikhar) and asked as to what kind of remarks he (Musharraf) was hearing from him, adding the case should be decided in a manner that it does not cause any loss to the country. To this, Justice Iftikhar said, “You shouldn’t worry. I will decide the case in the best interest of the country.”

The next day when the Supreme Court judgment in the case came, it was totally against the expectations of the president. It was then that a row between the president and the then chief justice ensued.

General (retd) Abdul Qayyum said all the judges on the full court were very honest and competent. They thoroughly did their homework before presiding the court and would make queries to dig into the truth.

To a question, Qayyum said once the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz summoned him and asked him to record a statement in favour of privatisation of the Steel Mills before the Supreme Court. “In response we will accommodate you on a very lucrative post. I told him, Sir, by making me such an offer you have disgraced me,” General Qayyum said.

Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qayyum further disclosed that once Shaukat Aziz called him on phone and asked him to engage Wasim Sajjad, Sharifuddin Pirzada and Abdul Hafiz Pirzada for the case. But I told him that I have engaged Kamal Azfar. They (Aziz) asked about the fee and I told him that he has engaged him for Rs 700,000 to which the then prime minister said that the Mills should pay Rs 6,200,000 to Wasim Sajjad, Rs 3,500,000 to Abdul Hafiz Pirzada and Sharifuddin Pirzada to be paid even above them.

The former chairman of the Steel Mills said he told Shaukat Aziz that the price of only land of the Steel Mills was Rs 40 billion whereas he was fixing the price of whole the project at Rs 21 billion. This is too low, he further informed the prime minister. He said the prime minister turned a deaf ear to his view and insisted to wrap up the deal before long.

Gen Qayyum said, “I then sent my written objections in a letter. He sent me an insulting answer saying that it falls under their purview.”

Gen Qayyum said painfully that he did not know the reserved price. Some people participating in the bidding did know it, he said.

Gen Qayyum expressed the view that Shaukat Aziz’s bad intention was involved in this matter and an FIR should be registered against him.

Replying to a question, Gen Qayyum said he had tried thrice to meet the president to discuss this matter but he was not granted time. “Then one day I received a phone call saying that I should consider myself out of the job.”

Ex-chief of Steel Mills spills the beans

 

[dabong1]

Impeach the buffoon

 

[genmirajborgza786]

President and Chaudhrys mull counter-strategy

By Muhammad Bilal

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday discussed a strategy to counter any move to impeach him with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q Punjab President Pervaiz Elahi.

Sources privy to the meeting, which was held at President’s Camp Office in Rawalpindi, said that the Chaudhrys assured the president that they would stand by him and ensure that no such move succeeds. “They [Chaudhrys] informed the president that the PPP can’t pass the constitutional package unilaterally ... it is not possible for the coalition government to pass any bill from the Upper House of parliament without taking the PML-Q into confidence,” sources said.

According to Online, the president also underscored the need for promotion of restraint and tolerance in politics, saying that all the political forces would have to unite to counter the challenges facing the country.

Earlier, talking to reporters at his residence, Shujaat warned PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari against pursuing a confrontation with the Presidency. He said the system based on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) could collapse if Zardari does not act wisely.

Commenting on recent statements attributed to Zardari, Shujaat said there had been tremendous pressure on President Musharraf against issuing the NRO. “It would be better to cease such talk,” he said in response to Zardari’s statement that there was great pressure on him to impeach the president.

Home | Main

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[genmirajborgza786]

(things are getting ugly now ! imo)

Plan unveiled to drive Musharraf from power

Plan unveiled to drive Musharraf from power
SIMON CAMERON-MOORE

Reuters

May 24, 2008 at 10:40 AM EDT

ISLAMABAD — The head of the party leading Pakistan's ruling coalition unveiled proposed constitutional changes on Saturday that would take away President Pervez Musharraf's powers.

“We intend to walk him away, rather than impeach him away,” said Asif Ali Zardari, who succeeded his late wife Benazir Bhutto as leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party after her assassination last December.

Mr. Zardari said the amendments would remove the President's right to dismiss the government and pass responsibility for appointing heads of the armed services and provincial governors to the prime minister.

The proposed amendments included a bar on a president running for office for more than two terms.

The PPP has to consult its three coalition allies over the 62 proposed amendments, which could be put before parliament by the end of June.

The coalition allies defeated pro-Musharraf parties in a general election in February, and a government was sworn in at the end of March under Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, a PPP loyalist picked by Mr. Zardari.

Constitutional changes are passed through the National Assembly and senate, and the coalition partners lack the required two-thirds majority in the combined houses.

Senate elections are due at the end of the year, and many analysts expect the struggle between Pakistan's main political parties and Mr. Musharraf, who came to power in a 1999 coup, to come to a head then.

The United States has been closely involved in Pakistan's political transition.

Some political analysts believe Washington has tried to prop up Mr. Musharraf out of fear that his sudden departure could lead to instability in the nuclear armed state and hinder the campaign to wipe out al-Qaeda.

BATTLE LINES

How to tackle U.S. ally Mr. Musharraf has already led to strains within the coalition.

Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister overthrown by Mr. Musharraf, pulled nine ministers from his party out of the cabinet two weeks ago to protest against the PPP's failure to reinstate judges Mr. Musharraf dismissed during a brief phase of emergency rule last November.

Mr. Sharif's party has maintained support for the PPP-led government without being part of it.

The legality of Mr. Musharraf's re-election last October while still army chief by the outgoing parliament was being challenged in the Supreme Court when Mr. Musharraf purged the judiciary.

Mr. Zardari said the PPP had “never accepted General Musharraf as a constitutional president” but had kept a working relationship and would consult him over the constitutional package.

Musharraf's foes have talked of impeaching him for invoking emergency rule on Nov. 3, but Zardari has been wary of provoking Musharraf while he still possesses sweeping powers.

Political uncertainty has taken its toll on investor confidence in Pakistan.

The Karachi Stock Exchange's 100-share index ended Friday more than 17 per cent below the record high struck on April 21, largely because of doubts about the PPP's ability to work in harness with Mr. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N.

There had been speculation that Mr. Zardari would risk splitting his own party by turning to the pro-Musharraf parties for support if Mr. Sharif's PML-N withdrew backing for the government.

On Saturday, Mr. Zardari sought to dispel any doubts over who the PPP intended to work with, saying: “Once this package is tabled in the parliament, then the lines will be clearly drawn that [show] who is with who.”

globeandmail.com: Plan unveiled to drive Musharraf from power

 

[genmirajborgza786]

Pakistan ruling party moves to clip Musharraf's power
Sat May 24, 5:39 PM


ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan's main ruling coalition party Saturday unveiled a proposed package of constitutional amendments designed to clip the wings of key US-ally President Pervez Musharraf.


Announcing the package, Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali Zardari told a news conference here the amendments would remove the president's powers to dismiss the government and would strengthen the parliament.


He said the government would open talks with Musharraf, the former army chief, on the package and would also discuss it with all political parties.


"We intend to walk him away, rather than impeach him away," Zardari said when asked if his government wanted to remove the former military strongman who became a civilian head of the government last year.


Zardari said the proposed bill, which would require a two-third majority in the parliament for approval, will be presented to the parliament as soon as possible.


Zardari, widower of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, said dozens of judges deposed by Musharraf last year would be restored via a mechanism provided in the package.


The dispute over reinstatement of the judges had caused strains on the coalition government which was formed after Musharraf's allies were defeated in February elections.


Bhutto's party emerged as the single largest party but did not win enough seats to form the government on its own in the 342-member national assembly.


Under the proposed bill the president's powers to appoint the chiefs of the army, navy and air force would be transferred to the prime minister and parliament will appoint the chief election commissioner.


The bill also proposes renaming North West Frontier Province as Pakhtunkhwa, to reflect the ethnic character of the sensitive region bordering Afghanistan and inhabited mostly by Pashtu-speaking people.

The package came as deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was due to address a convention of lawyers later Saturday agitating for the restoration of the judges.

Print Story: Pakistan ruling party moves to clip Musharraf's power on Yahoo! Canada News

 

[genmirajborgza786]

Pakistan's deposed chief justice urges lawyers to press on with campaign to restore judges

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 25 (AP) - Pakistan's deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry urged lawyers Sunday to press on with their campaign to restore judges ousted by President Pervez Musharraf who declared emergency rule in November and ousted dozens of judges to avoid legal challenges to his rule. Justice Chaudhry told thousands of lawyers in Faisalabad early Sunday that the Supreme Court had passed an order restricting the president's actions on Nov. 3, the same day the emergency was declared. Chaudhry promised that those who “violated” the order would be “punished.” Justice Chaudhry who arrived here from Islamabad after a 14-hour drive also said that only nations which do not compromise on principles survive, and said the people had the right to know the causes of the current ills of the Pakistani society, private TV channels reported. The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan speaking on the occasion termed the PPP’s 62-point package as another form of the minus one formula and rejected it outright. The convention was also addressed by the other leaders of the lawyers community including Ali Ahmad Kurd, Hamid Khan, Munir Malik etc. (Posted @ 12:45 PST)

- DAWN - Latest Stories; May 25, 2008

 

[genmirajborgza786]

PML-N calls for joint session of parliament

ISLAMABAD, May 24: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said on Saturday that the coalition government enjoyed two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

Addressing a news conference here at the party central secretariat, the spokesman demanded a joint session of the upper and lower houses of the parliament for “impeachment” of President Pervez Musharraf.

Siddiqul Farooq alleged that present wheat and power crises was the result of the previous government’s policies.

“The previous regime had not taken any initiative to generate electricity in order to meet future requirements of the country”, he added.

He alleged that undemocratic forces rigged the elections in 2002 to get a rubber stamp parliament.

The PML-N spokesman said the people in February 18 elections gave mandate to two major political parties and rejected the policies of the previous government. But, he said, undemocratic forces were conspiring against the coalition government.—APP

PML-N calls for joint session of parliament -DAWN - National; May 25, 2008

 

[Interceptor]

Intrestingly Zardari has said just yesterday that in the new constitutional package PPP has perpared, the PM will be having power to give seats to minorities in the Senate, besides the appointment of the all the chiefs of the armed forces will rest with the PM.

By looking at the recent comments of Zardari one can well understand that US is all behind him.
Lets see

How do you come up with this ****.... Sooo I assume Nawaz is an agent isn't he now..... Hmm pssst dont tell this to anyone "Pakistanis hate Musharraf, they want him to leave".....

Now thats out of the way.

 

[mujahideen]

How do you come up with this ****.... Sooo I assume Nawaz is an agent isn't he now..... Hmm pssst dont tell this to anyone "Pakistanis hate Musharraf, they want him to leave".....
Now thats out of the way.

Well as far as I am concerned Zardari is not as smart as he has been protrayed in recent months. Their is someone else behind him. He is defnitely taking orders from someone. Now who that someone is is reallt your opinion, I think he gets orders from Washington. As far as Nawaz is concerned. The U.S. doesn't care about him. When he was in power they cared and he sold us out during the Kargil eposide. But I dont want to gt in this now. One thing which must change in the future is our policies should be drawn up by civilians and not in the Army House or Washington.