PAKISTAN: Musharraf sworn-in as President of Pakistan as lawyers protest and Sharif criticises

Record ID: 1533249

  • Title: PAKISTAN: Musharraf sworn-in as President of Pakistan as lawyers protest and Sharif criticises
  • Date: 30th November 2007
  • Summary: MUSHARRAF TAKING OATH AS CIVILIAN PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN/GUESTS CLAPPING ADDRESSING AUDIENCE AT HIS OATH-TAKING CEREMONY, SAYING: "Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are back. I personally feel this is good for the political reconciliation I have spoken of."
  • Embargoed: 15th December 2007 10:10
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5F8NNH6EQJFZ2C86PQKJL47AE
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was sworn in for a second term on Thursday (November 29), but this time as a civilian leader a day after quitting as army chief and fulfilling a promise many Pakistanis had doubted he would keep.
    Musharraf, sworn in by the chief justice he hand-picked after purging the Supreme Court under emergency rule he imposed on November 3, immediately reached out to old political rivals.
    In his first public comments on former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif since he came back from seven years in exile on Sunday (November 25), Musharraf said he welcomed his return, as well as that of another old rival, Benazir Bhutto, who came back last month.

    "Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are back. I personally feel this is good for the political reconciliation I have spoken of," Musharraf, wearing a traditional sherwani tunic, said in a speech after he took the oath at a ceremony in Islamabad.
    Musharraf's power and influence in the nuclear-armed country, which is vital to the U.S. campaign against al Qaeda and its strategy in neighbouring Afghanistan, are bound to be diminished after relinquishing command of the army.
    But he said the country would benefit with him being a civilian leader and his hand-picked successor, General Ashfaq Kayani, in charge of the military.
    Musharraf said that the state of emergency was to be lifted before the election.

    "I'm fully determined that emergency is lifted on December 16, PCO is removed, the Constitution is fully restored and the election which will be held on January 8th should be held under the Pakistani Constitution," he said.
    Musharraf said no one would be allowed to derail the election process, come what may.

    "I ask all those who are talking of boycott (of elections) to refrain from such talk, go for the election campaign and wholeheartedly take part in the election."
    Musharraf won re-election in a vote by legislators last month and later suspended the constitution, declared emergency rule and purged the Supreme Court to block opposition legal challenges to his victory while still a serving officer.
    Earlier on Thursday (November 29) lawyers and police clashed in the eastern city of Lahore as President Pervez Musharraf was sworn in for a second term.
    Chanting "Go, Musharraf, Go!", at least 250 lawyers in black suits and white shirts tried to push their way past riot police who fought them back with batons outside the Lahore law courts.
    Bricks plucked from the walls and used as missiles lay strewn on the ground broken into shards of glass. The "House of Justice" signboard outside the court lay broken.

    "We will Snatch Freedom" and "Our Protest will Continue", the lawyers chanted.
    The protesting lawyers said they would not accept Musharraf even without his uniform.
    Eleven lawyers and three policemen were injured in the melee, and three lawyers were arrested, officials said.
    The opposition is still challenging his grip on power.
    Pakistan former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday (November 29) that their struggle is for the restoration of democracy, restoration of judiciary and supremacy of constitution in the country.

    "Well you see, we still insist that the judiciary of 2nd November must be restored. That judiciary was thrown out by Mr. Musharraf just for personal reasons because his personal interest was involved. The judiciary must come back," Sharif told reporters.
    Sharif said that they were striving for the restoration of democracy and supremacy of constitution in the country.

    "Our struggle is for the restoration of democracy, our struggle is for the restoration of the judiciary, our struggle is for the release of all the prisoners, our struggle is for a level playing field for everybody,"
    said Sharif.
    The opposition parties of ex-prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif welcomed the resignation of Musharraf from the army.
    Sharif, the man Musharraf ousted in 1999, and Bhutto, also a former Prime Minister, are considering boycotting a January 8 general election that they say will not be free and fair under emergency powers, although analysts expect them to take part.
    Musharraf will need support in what analysts expect to be a hung parliament. He could face impeachment over manoeuvres to stay in power, which rivals say violated the constitution.
    Musharraf's trump card remains the military, which backed his use of emergency powers. Having run in those circumstances, it is unlikely a prime minister would go against Musharraf unless they were sure the army had come to regard him as a liability. That might require big street protests or a withdrawal of support from Washington.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register