Army uniform is second skin: Musharraf

Brushing aside the demand for quitting the post of army chief, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said his uniform is like a second skin, which he cannot remove.

Brushing aside the demand for quitting the post of army chief, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said his uniform is like a second skin, which he cannot remove.

The General, who is seeking re-election to the post of the President by the existing Assemblies later this year, has said that he is proud to be an army man, and the uniform is like his second skin, adding: 8220;Then, how can I even think of taking it of8221;.

Musharraf told BBC Urdu in an interview that he took over as President due to the turmoil in the country, otherwise he loved to be an army man. He said that his uniform could not be separated from him.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Robert Brinkley had last week asked Musharraf to 8220;separate8221; the offices of the President and the Army Chief this year as demanded by the Commonwealth.

Various political parties in Pakistan have also been demanding that Musharraf give up his military uniform. PPP leader Benazir Bhutto had recently said that any deal with Pervez Musharraf was not possible while he continued to be the Chief of Army and President.

Asked about the crisis triggered by the suspension of the Chief Justice, Musharraf said he was waiting for the full court8217;s verdict and added that he would accept it in any case.

However, he refused to answer the question if he would fulfil his 8220;moral responsibility8221; if the full court8217;s decision was in the chief justice8217;s favour.

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Musharraf maintained that the army did not enter Pakistani politics on its own, rather it was invited to take care of the civil administration. He claimed that the army strengthened Pakistan, but Opposition parties were 8220;propagating a negative image of the armed forces8221;.

Justifying the army8217;s presence in various institutions of the country, the general remarked: 8220;When politicians do not know how to run the country8217;s affairs, the army has no choice, but to step in and put things right8221;.

He said he believed in democracy and wanted to take the Opposition along on all issues adding that he wanted to see Pakistan among developed countries.