World | Pakistan
Growing calls for Musharraf's trial as he prepares to leave on umrah
Former president Pervez Musharraf is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon to perform umra, sources close to him said, while many in Pakistan are demanding his trial.
- By Shahid Hussain, Correspondent
- Published: 23:32 August 19, 2008
- Former president Pervez Musharraf is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon to perform umra, sources close to him said, while many in Pakistan are demanding his trial.
- Image Credit: Reuters
Islamabad: Former president Pervez Musharraf is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon to perform umra, sources close to him said, while many in Pakistan are demanding his trial.
Despite the government's denial of any deal with Musharraf it is widely believed that he quit on Monday after being assured of a safe exit. He was given a ceremonial farewell salute by a military guard of honour at the presidency.
The prime minister's advisor on interior affairs, Rahman Malek later told the media that the government would provide him full security.
When he returned to his residence in the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Islamabad on Monday after resigning, troops guarded the route and army helicopters circled to keep vigil.
In the National Assembly on Tuesday, several government lawmakers called for the trial of Musharraf for subversion of the constitution and other alleged misdeeds.
They said a secure exit to Musharraf would mean leaving the door open for the return of dictatorship in future.
Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Farooq H. Naek told reporters the impression of a deal was wrong.
Irrelevant
"No, there is no deal and General Musharraf resigned on his own," the minister said.
Naek said the charge sheet that had been prepared for impeachment of Musharraf had become irrelevant after his resignation but it could be made public if decided so by the coalition leadership.
The four-party coalition leader, Pakistan People's Party, does not share the enthusiasm of its major partner, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, for putting Musharraf in the dock.
Gallup Pakistan conducted a survey soon after Musharraf announced his resignation, which showed a majority of those interviewed wanted Musharraf to be tried.
The group obtained the opinion of approximately 560 men and women chosen from a cross-section of all ages, socio-economic and linguistic groups across the country.
It said despite uncertainty as to whether charges would be brought against the former president, 65 per cent favoured holding a proper trial while only 26 per cent were in favour of the "forgive and forget" option.
Sharif's demands
At the meeting held yesterday to discuss the future course of action, sources in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said Nawaz Sharif had made it clear to Asif Ali Zardari that according to their August 7 agreement the judges had to be restored immediately after Musharraf's impeachment and after his resignation the matter should not be delayed.
The row over the judges' reinstatement had strained relations between the two main coalition parties before the exit of Musharraf, leading to the withdrawal of its ministers from the federal cabinet by the PML-N.
But on August 7, when Zardari and Sharif issued a joint communique about impeachment and pledged to reinstate judges immediately after the ouster of Musharraf, the PML-N agreed to rejoin the cabinet.
Three PML-N ministers retook their cabinet slots and the party said all remaining ministers would be back after the judges were restored.
The disagreement between PPP and PML-N over the judges' issue has overshadowed the success of their impeachment move against Musharraf.
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