Smash hit

Leaders of Pakistan’s two main opposition parties said that General Musharraf’s statement was designed to blackmail the Supreme Court since he was bound by law to shed the uniform by the end of the year.

“General Musharraf’s use of the uniform issue as quid pro quo for any constitutional concession is a baseless proposal,” said Ahsan Iqbal, the spokesman for the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said that the President’s statement could jeopardise a power-sharing deal with Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister and PPP leader, who plans to return to Pakistan on October 18.

“We believe that his election in uniform will be undemocratic and unconstitutional,” Sherry Rehman, a PPP spokeswoman, said. “The move has put the dialogue in jeopardy.”

Bhutto was killed by bomb blast

The team from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command have backed the claim that Benazir Bhutto was not shot

Multimedia

• Pictures: death of Benazir Bhutto

• Pictures: Pakistan

BACKGROUND

• Pakistan in turmoil as ‘martial law’ imposed

• Bhutto escapes as bombers kill 126

• Timeline: Pakistan's period of turmoil

• The man out to oust a President

• Internal crisis gives Pakistan reason for hope

Related Links

• Timeline: Pakistan's period of turmoil

• Sharif arrested in Pakistan and deported

General Musharraf and Ms Bhutto have been in talks for months on a deal that would allow him to remain as President and her to return to Pakistan and contest the general election.

Ms Bhutto has demanded that he step down as head of the army, drop corruption charges against her, water down presidential powers, and lift a ban on the Prime Minister serving more than two terms.

But the talks are now stalled, with the Government saying that she can come back but must face the corruption charges that forced her to flee in 1999.

The United States and Britain have backed the deal in the belief that it is the best way to resolve the current crisis without further instability that could undermine the War on Terror.

Their primary concern is the Pakistani Army’s campaign against Taleban and al-Qaeda militants who are regrouping in the lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

They will therefore be particularly interested to see who General Musharraf appoints as his Vice Chief of Army Staff on October 7, since that person is now likely to take over as army chief after November 15.

There are several potential candidates, but Western officials are believed to favour Lieutenant-General Ashfaq Kiyani, the head of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Wielding power

March 9: President Musharraf suspends Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, for unspecified “misuse of authority”. He appeals

May 6: Chief Justice Chaudhry addresses the largest of a series of rallies in support of him, attacking “states which are based on dictatorships”

July 2: Supreme Court dismisses evidence against Chief Justice Chaudhry submitted by General Musharraf’s Government as scandalous and bans intelligence officers from court

July 20: Chief Justice Chaudhry reinstated by Supreme Court, charges against him quashed

August 23: Legality of the exiled leader Nawaz Sharif’s decision to return to Pakistan is upheld by the Supreme Court

Sept 10: Former Prime Minister Sharif sent back into exile four hours after his aircraft lands

Source: Times archives

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