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Pak. House faces dissolution?

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD APRIL 24. Is the six-month old Pakistan National Assembly headed for dissolution in the wake of the stand-off between the Government and the Opposition on the validity of Musharraf laws? Political parties believe it is not, even as Pervez Musharraf has ruled out any `compromise.'

The Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, has invited representatives of the Opposition parties for a dialogue on Friday and Saturday.

However he has little to offer as the issue involved is beyond his jurisdiction.

At the heart of the controversy is the decision of Gen. Musharraf to continue as Army Chief and President. The Opposition is prepared to consider him as President only if he sheds the Army uniform and agrees to come through the Parliamentary route for election as President. It says it will not recognise Gen. Musharraf on the basis of the single candidate referendum held in April last year.

Musharraf firm

Gen. Musharraf would have none of it. He maintains that the Pakistan Supreme Court had authorised him to make amendments to the Constitution and all changes he has made are part and parcel of it.

It is against this backdrop that apprehensions are being aired about the possibility of the dissolution of Parliament. The other day Gen. Musharraf termed the protests by the Opposition, demanding his resignation as Army Chief, as `uncivilised' and said that he was not interested in addressing a joint session.

Though general elections were held in October, the National Assembly has not had a single normal sitting so far. The Government and the Opposition blame each other for the situation.

Leaders of the joint Opposition parties while condemning the statement of Gen. Musharraf have vowed to continue their struggle against the Legal Framework Order (LFO).

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