Musharraf Must Give Up Armed Forces Control by 2007: Commonwealth

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Commonwealth chief Don Mckinnon said General Pervez Musharraf must give up either the presidency or control over Pakistan’s armed forces by 2007, when his current presidential term ends, in a statement Feb. 14.

McKinnon, secretary-general of the 53-nation club of mainly former British colonies, said Pakistan has made great strides towards democracy but much “more progress” was needed.

”We particularly want you (Musharraf) to deal with this issue of the uniform,” McKinnon told AFP.

Commonwealth officials said McKinnon was expected to meet with Musharraf in Pakistan as part of his South Asia tour this week that also includes Bangladesh.

The Commonwealth suspended Pakistan in 1999 after Musharraf seized power in an army-backed coup but was reinstated in 2004 after he promised to give up his dual role by the end of that year.

He reneged on the pledge and Pakistan’s parliament passed a law allowing him to remain as president and army chief until 2007. He said he needed to keep both jobs to fight terrorism.

McKinnon said here that Commonwealth ministers would decide what action to take if Musharraf failed to give up the dual role after general elections expected in October 2007.

He said Commonwealth ministers “clearly would not be happy” although there was “no desire to re-suspend Pakistan” if he retained both roles.

”There is a desire to help them really construct a viable democracy, build those democratic institutions” (like Parliament), he said.

The Commonwealth has been giving technical assistance to Pakistan to help it shift to a democracy and the country has “done a lot of useful things” toward achieving that aim, he said.

”I think they have moved a long way,” he said.
He said the Pakistan parliament was now a “functioning body” that has become more representative of the country’s population.

”They have more women, they are getting more minority groups represented.”
”We, like everyone else, can see that Pakistan in the years since independence has a very checkered ... military career,” McKinnon said.

Pakistan has been under military dictatorship for around half of its nearly six-decade history.

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