Shujaat shrugs off long march threat

By Ahmed Hassan

ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Thursday that the assemblies would complete their term and expressed the hope that President Pervez Musharraf would fulfil his promise of hanging up his uniform by November 15.

Addressing a news conference along with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri and Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem at his residence, the PML chief said that even if delayed the polls would not go beyond February -- the deadline President Musharraf had given at a National Security Council meeting earlier in the day.

He denied that any proposal was under consideration to extend the tenure of the National Assembly by one year.

He said that president was supposed to quit the army post by Nov 15, after the Supreme Court’s verdict on petitions challenging his candidature for the presidential election and he would do it after the announcement of court’s decision.

In reply to a question about curbs on the media, the PML president said media personnel should demonstrate more responsibility and present both sides of the picture to the people.

Chaudhry Shujaat said that no understanding had been reached with the PPP chairperson on emergency or elections, adding that the so-called long march announced by her would make no difference because the issues for which she was launching an agitation had already been settled.

He alleged that the PPP leader wanted to take credit for the settled issues of the president’s uniform and holding polls on time.

He said his party was not in favour of holding polls under the emergency or the PCO. However, he added that the government would not succumb to any external pressure to change the process of transition to democracy which had already been set in motion.

The PML chief said that so far no decision had been taken on the appointment of the caretaker prime minister and his tenure could not be fixed up for six months lest he might try to occupy it permanently.

Commenting on reports about the possibility of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif returning home soon, he said he was free to come back after getting consent of the Saudi government.

Earlier, a delegation of the MQM held a meeting with PML leaders to discuss an understanding reached between Chaudhry Shujaat and Altaf Hussain on the formation of a joint committee to work out an electoral accord. Both sides have decided to form a nine-member committee, with six members from the PML and three from the MQM. Chaudhry Shujaat said the two parties would field joint candidates.

Dawn 09/Nov/07