Musharrafs legal team unable to find a way-out on uniform issue

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf might have to doff his uniform before seeking a re-election, as his legal advisers have reportedly failed to find a way out for him to contest the poll as army chief.

Islamabad, Aug 28 : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf might have to doff his uniform before seeking a re-election, as his legal advisers have reportedly failed to find a way out for him to contest the poll as army chief.

Sources close to Musharraf's legal team have said that the constitutional embroidery done by his favourite Sharifuddin Pirzada is not working this time, as the country's judiciary is all set to interpret the Constitution independently.

The Nation quoted sources as saying that eminent lawyer and treasury Senator S M Zafar had told Musharraf that contesting presidential election in uniform would get him into deep trouble.

He had advised that the only way out would be to shed uniform, get indemnity from a two-year bar and seek election from new assemblies.

According to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan, during Zia-ul-Haq's time, the President had the power to condone the two-year bar on any government servant to allow his participation in the politics. But now, the President has no such powers.

At present, only a constitutional amendment, empowering the President to condone two-year bar on retired government servant can enable Musharraf to be a legitimate candidate for the post of the President, the daily reported.

The parleys between Musharraf's emissaries and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman are aimed at seeking their support for this particular constitutional amendment, sources said.

They added that in return, Musharraf is offering concessions to Benazir and a promise to Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman to be in power in Frontier Province for next five years.

ANI