Pak enacts Musharraf dual role Bill

Pakistan’s acting President Muhammad Soomro today signed into law a controversial Bill allowing General Pervez Musharraf to hold the dual posts of the President and the Army Chief beyond this year despite his pledge to shed the uniform.

The Bill, earlier passed by both houses of Parliament, was signed by Soomro, also Senate Chairman holding the post of acting president in the absence of Musharraf, who is currently in Latin American, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said. The new legislation has cleared the way for Musharraf to hold both the offices at least till 2007, when his term as president expires. It does not mention any timeframe for him to shed the uniform.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties, which have launched a nationwide protest campaign against the general demanding he shed the uniform, have questioned Soomro’s authority to sign such an important Bill. Apparently, Musharraf was apprehensive of signing the Bill himself after he was advised about the legal problems as the constitution stipulated that the President should not sign any order that solely benefited him.

Though Musharraf himself has not yet formally said that he would continue to retain uniform beyond December 31, Rashid said the President would continue in both the offices. —PTI