Ex-generals demand Musharraf’s resignation
The News, January 23, 2008
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army's retired generals on Tuesday asked President Pervez Musharraf to resign in the larger interest of the country and stressed that a national government must be constituted with the consultation of all the political parties, instead of holding election under the caretaker set-up.
Head of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society and former corps commander Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Ali Chishti, Lt-Gen (retd) Talat Masood, former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Hameed Gul, Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan, former corps commander Rawalpindi Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani, Admiral (retd) Karamat Rehman Niazi, Admiral (retd) Iftikhar Sarosh and former provisional minister SK Tressler expressed these views while addressing a seminar and later talking to journalists.
Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Ali Chishti said that he did not trust the present caretaker set-up, adding that this was a "Qabza Group." He said that he was willing to present himself for accountability, as no one had ever been held accountable in the history of the country.
Answering a question, he said after defeat in the Kargil war, President Musharraf should have faced a court martial. In reply to another query, he said he had requested other members of the Ex-Servicemen Society to vote for qualified people and not to waste their votes on looters and turncoats.
He said the country was facing no external threat and was only facing internal threats, adding that the US could not cast an evil eye on Pakistan. Lt-Gen (retd) Talat Masood said that due to President Musharraf being in power, the three pillars of the state had been abolished and the Army had been involved in politics.
He said the tribal areas posed a great challenge to President Musharraf and he should have found a solution. Former corps commander Rawalpindi Lt-Gen (retd) Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani said he was not a member of the team, which brought General (retd) Musharraf into power, and that he became a corps commander on Nov 1, 1999.
He said he had advised Musharraf not to support the US and hold referendum, as this would only lead to failure. He said if the country had to be saved then Pervez Musharraf must resign as this was in the larger interest of the country.
On the occasion, several resolutions were passed unanimously, which stated that the presence of President Musharraf was strengthening the elements, which were destabilising the country. The resolution said a national government consisting of political leaders of all the provinces, must be formed and it should be unbiased.
The resolution demanded an independent Election Commission with the consensus of all the major political parties. The resolution lauded the measures taken by Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in which he asked the Army officers to stay away from politics and politicians.
The resolution said it was hoped that General Kayani would restore the image of the Army. The resolution further said the ex-servicemen would take part in the struggle for democracy and restoration of the deposed judges.
1 comment:
FACTS ON THE GROUND IN PAKISTAN.Reference to the Islamic history and Pakistan's independance period, I want to go a step further and will recomand to select/elect every Chief of Army staff as president after retirement and the present Army chief should be be given extra time for his oustanding services at national and international level and all other Corps. Commanders of the Army and COS of Airforce and Navy should be apponited Governors and Deputy Governors of the provinces and regions ( by creating regional governments in all four provinces, 2 in Punjab 1 in each province- these regions already exist based on language, culture and history , such as Saraiki, Potahari, Upper Sind-Sukkar, Dera Ismail Khan in NWFP and Gawadar- Balouch Area. And all additional bureaucrates who love to live in provincial capitals should be trasfered to these remote areas of the country. These new regions should invite and attrect the foreigner and Pakistani origin people to invest in the area to creat jobs and eliminate poverty.) This is the only way we can stop further intereption/ coup in Pakistan . After all armed forces personnel are wel diciplined and organized . And above all represent Pakistan's divercified population who retire in young age and physically/mentally mainain better health. With this arrangement no one is loser except few feudals and industrialists, who reprent non of the masses in Pakistan. We already have a quota system applied for superior services since 30 years and had killed thousnds of innocent talented young people, why not try this arrangement for the welfare of the country which will effect none but very few so called politicians who after all deal with generals behind the curtains.And it's good to know that supporters of these politician are 500/600 Mafia heads who live in 125 districts of Pakistan and provide so called public leadership for national, provincial and local levels . They all involved in worst kind ofcrimes on this earth against humanity.WOULD THE EDITOR PUBLISH THIS LETTER in the larger interest of the nation. KHWAJA AFTAB ALI , the first and only post graduate of Intellectual Property Laws on scholarship from USA. Residing in Orlando, Florida.U.S.A. at 4418 St. Georges Court, Kissimmee, Fl.34746 Phone. 407-729-3983 & 407-397-1376
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