THATTA, 14 April — President Pervez Musharraf yesterday shrugged off criticism and said the propaganda unleashed by vested interests against the referendum was absurd.
Speaking at a public meeting in Thatta yesterday Gen. Musharraf said the referendum was in conformity with the constitution.
He urged the people not to be misled by the propaganda and help strengthen his hands to carry out the reforms that could usher an era of progress in the country.
Highlighting the achievements of his government, the president reiterated that the continuity of his policies was necessary for development.
Meanwhile, councilors belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party of former Premier Benazir Bhutto and Jamaat-e-Islami boycotted the public rallies Musharraf addressed in Thatta and Sanghar yesterday.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement and several other parties, however backed Musharraf in his bid to seek a new five-year term by participating in these rallies.
Musharraf announced that he had no intention of reverting to the presidential form of government.
The country, he said, will have a parliamentary system of government and the prime minister will be powerful. But, he said the president will also have powers to prevent the government from resorting to corrupt practices.
Speaking at a news conference in Quetta on Friday, President Musharraf had said that the constitution would be amended before general elections to ensure a balance of power between the Senate and the National Assembly.
The president said the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) has been studying the amendments to be made to the constitution and he himself attended six to eight presentations by the NRB on the issue of provincial autonomy.
The president said the draft of the amendments was in the final stage and would be presented before the nation for debate. The main purpose of the amendments was to establish a National Security Council and to bring some sort of a balance of power between the prime minister and the president, he said.
He made it clear that in the future setup prime minister would be the chief executive of the country, while the NSC would help him govern the country.
To a question about power-sharing Gen. Musharraf said he would not share power with the prime minister. “In fact, I want the president and the proposed National Security Council to strengthen the prime minister,” he said.
To a question, the president said the rights of smaller provinces would be protected. Gen. Musharraf said the demand to give financial powers to the Senate would also be considered to give a greater say to smaller provinces. He said the Supreme Court had given full powers to his government to amend the constitution.
Replying to a question about the possibility of return of corrupt people after the elections, he said without a social change it was not possible to get rid of such leaders.
The president appealed to the people to elect honest leaders in the elections. In his opening remarks, the president said he was interested in the restoration of “real and genuine” democracy and transfer of powers to the chosen representatives of the people.
About Benazir and Nawaz Sharif, he said it was not possible to allow Benazir and Sharif to return to politics. “We have to ensure either by framing laws or amending the constitution that a person cannot be elected prime minister for the third time,” the president told a questioner.
He defended holding of referendum, insisting that it was constitutional.
Replying to a question, he said strategic assets of the country were in safe hands and the people should not worry about it.
About the benefits gained by Pakistan by joining the US-led war on terrorism, the president said although the response of the US government was not up to the expectations of the people of Pakistan, economic situation did improve to some extent.
