He promises: Mr Musharraf not General if re-elected

Musharraf’s undertaking to the court came a day after his main ally, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, said that it “expects” him to take oath as a civilian President.

Speaking to The Indian Express over phone from Islamabad, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, secretary general of the PML-Q, said: “Musharraf is ready to give up his uniform for presidency and if re-elected, he will be known as Mr Pervez Musharraf and not General Pervez Musharraf. This hints at his intent to finally doff the fatigues and hand over the post of COAS very soon to one of the senior officers of the Pakistan Army.”

“I assure you that Musharraf will look as dashing and dapper in a designer Italian suit, Burberry cufflinks and a Hermes tie as he looks in military fatigues. With the lady in Dubai (Benazir Bhutto), the mother of all deals (the proposed Benazir-Musharraf deal) is yet to be clinched as she faces certain issues like corruption charges. There is a back channel working with her. But her timing of return indicates she doesn’t want to throw a spanner in the works for elections and sports friendly intent towards the democratic process.”

Asked what the government plans to do if Musharraf is barred from holding dual office, Sayed said: “That is a hypothetical situation and we will cross the bridge when we come to it. The army is keen on taking a backseat now and leave governance of the country to elected representatives. The problem with Pakistani politicians is that we squabble too much. Infighting within political forces in the past paved the way for military takeovers in this country.”

There’s speculation that Musharraf will announce a new army chief in the coming days. On October 8, some key figures in the military are due to retire. If Musharraf wants to retain any of them, he will have to announce his decision soon.

• The Pakistani government on Tuesday said it will not withdraw corruption cases against former premier Benazir Bhutto and she will face legal action on return home from a self-imposed exile casting doubts on the planned power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz “categorically” said that cases against Bhutto would stay and the law will take its own course. ”Nobody is above the law,” he was quoted by the state run APP news agency as saying in an interview with an Australian television channel. He said Bhutto’s plans to return home on October 18 was her own decision and she will have to face cases pending against her in the courts. Aziz maintained that the government did not intend to reach any “deal” with Bhutto. “We are talking to her but don’t intend to have a deal as such… ballot box will decide who forms the next government,” he said.

• Up to 18 Pakistani soldiers and 16 militants were killed in heavy fighting in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said on Tuesday. Security forces deployed at a military post in North Waziristan killed about 16 pro-Taliban militants in clashes that began late yesterday, officials and residents said. Military spokesman major general Waheed Arshad said security forces had clashed with “miscreants” in the area, but was unable to give further details as communication links had collapsed.