US asks Gen to honour commitment on uniform

The United States today said it expected Pervez Musharraf to honour his past 8220;commitment8221; to address the issue of his dual leadership as President and Army chief.

The United States today said it expected Pervez Musharraf to honour his past 8220;commitment8221; to address the issue of his dual leadership as President and Army chief. The US statement came amidst a denial by Pakistani government officials on Thursday that the General had agreed to resign as Army chief before presidential elections.

8220;President Musharraf said that he8217;d address this issue of dual leadership of both his civilian 8212; his combinedcivilian and military role as Army chief and as president in accordance with the Constitution8230; he8217;s made commitment in that regard, and we would expect that he8217;d honour them,8221; State Department8217;s Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.

He was asked whether Washington has sought clarification from Islamabad about the negotiations between self-exiled former prime minister Benzair Bhutto and Musharraf on a power-sharing deal and whether the Pakistan President is willing to give up uniform.

Casey said the US was 8220;very interested8221; in the developments and is 8220;observing it carefully8221;.

8220;I8217;m sure that when there is something definitive, we8217;ll hear it first from them,8221; he said.

Meanwhile, a presidential spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, on Thursday said that no decision had been made in negotiations between Musharraf and Bhutto and that no presidential announcement was imminent. 8220;It is an ongoing dialogue,8221; he said. 8220;If there is an announcement, I will be the first to tell you.8221;

Bhutto, who has been in talks with Musharraf8217;s aides for months to work out a power-sharing deal, had said on Wednesday that he had agreed to a crucial concession: giving up the post of Army chief before standing for re-election. The same day, Pakistan8217;s Minister of Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said that the issue 8220;had been settled8221; in a deal that was 8220;80 per cent done.8221;

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But on Thursday, government officials pushed back, denying that a deal had been made and accusing Ms. Bhutto of grandstanding. Qureshi said that General Musharraf had until November 15, when his current term ends, to decide whether he would give up one of his posts, president or chief of Army staff.