Federal Law Minister Wasi Zafar on Tuesday informed the National Assembly that President General Pervez Musharraf will complete his presidential tenure in uniform.
He was responding to opposition's arguments in favour of admissibility of privilege motions on the President's uniform issue.
Wasi said that President General Pervez Musharraf was elected as President in uniform and would complete his tenure in uniform.
He claimed that President General Musharraf is beyond the reach of Article 63, which deals with the qualification of members of the National Assembly.
The minister said that President General Pervez Musharraf has not taken any decision about his uniform yet, assuring that his (President) final decision would be according to the aspirations of the people.
The minister said that the President has every right to freedom of expression, therefore, his statement regarding uniform has not breached the privilege of the House.
Speaking on the occasion, federal minister for parliamentary affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi said that President Musharraf will take every decision according to the Constitution.
The President has assured everybody that he would take decisions on all issues including uniform as per the Constitution and 17th Amendment, Sher Afgan added.
He said it is premature to discuss the uniform issue as the President has not breached the privilege of members.
Earlier, speaking on the uniform issue, Raja Pervez Ashraf from PPPP said that General Pervez Musharraf's statement about his uniform has breached the privilege of the august House.
He said that President General Musharraf is bound to quit one office till December 31, adding that Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) would never allow him to remain in uniform after the deadline.
Sharing his views, Liaquat Baloch said the MMA has restricted President Musharraf to put off his uniform till December 31, 2004 under the 17th Amendment.
He made it clear that it is an unconstitutional move if General Pervez Musharraf would not fulfil his commitment under 17th Amendment.
Baloch also condemned the statement of President Musharraf that the MMA is committing violations of the 17th Amendment.
He said that the MMA stands firmly on its commitment and would not allow him (Pervez Musharraf) to remain in uniform after December 31.
Renowned politician and lawyer, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan in his speech, read out the oath, which President Musharraf took on joining the army.
He said that the presidential office is a political post that comes through election and is different from the office of the Chief of Army Staff.
Aitzaz said that Chief of Army Staff always works under the defence secretary and he cannot chair any PML or cabinet meeting.
Commenting on the presidential referendum, Chaudhry Aitzaz said that the President could not get himself elected through any referendum.
There should be an election in which more than one person contests for the post of president but General Musharraf was elected through referendum where nobody was contesting against him.
He further said that the role of army has been clearly defined in the Constitution, which is always supreme. He informed the House that if someone from the army violates the constitution then Article 6 suggests a case of treason against him.
Taking part in the debate, Dr Farid Ahmed Paracha said that President General Pervez Musharraf has made a commitment in front of the nation that he would doff his uniform.
Tehmina Daultana from Pakistan Muslim League (N) said that General Pervez Musharraf was dismissed by the exiled premier Nawaz Sharif, therefore, he is holding this post unconstitutionally.
Other opposition members also spoke on the issue and contended that President Musharraf has breached the members' privilege by claiming that he was legally entitled to be in uniform after December 31.
However, Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, in his ruling, held the opposition's motions out of order. He said the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, which does not amount to breach of privilege of members.
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