# Pakistani President Musharraf faces impeachment



## Mike Baker (7 Aug 2008)

LINK




> Pakistani President Musharraf faces impeachment
> Updated Thu. Aug. 7 2008 10:36 AM ET
> 
> CTV.ca News Staff
> ...




More on Link.

I wonder what this may cause to our troops in Afghanistan, if any.

-Dead


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## jollyjacktar (18 Aug 2008)

They reported on CBC radio this morning as I was coming in that he as said he will resign in order to save the country from the discord an impeachment would cause.  I guess the support such as it was will really drop for our side now.


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## Blackadder1916 (18 Aug 2008)

Going . . . Going . . . Gone!

*Pervez Musharraf resigns as Pakistani President*


> Jeremy Page and Zahid Hussain, in Islamabad   From Times Online August 18, 2008
> 
> Pervez Musharraf, a key Muslim ally in the US-led War on Terror, resigned as President of Pakistan today to avoid impeachment by a hostile parliament, nine years after he seized power in a bloodless coup.
> 
> ...


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## armyca08 (21 Aug 2008)

I hope the country doesn't decsend into Civil war, especially with the military staying neutral in the political infighting - we can only hope it is not another Lebanon.

I'm guessing the US isn't keen on a people's party (communists - or centre left islamists) (PPPP) taking over the country though.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_International


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## geo (22 Aug 2008)

Pakistani military & neutral ... in one sentence.... something of an oxymoron if you ask me.  The pakistani military has been neck deep in the running of Pakistan ever since it became an independant state (1956)
Iskandar Mirza 56-58  Major General (3 yrs)
Muhammad Ayub Khan 58-69 Field Marshal (11 yrs)
Yahya Khan 69-71  Lieutenant General  (3 yrs) 
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq 78-88  General & CDS (10 yrs)
Pervez Musharaf 01-08 General & CDS (8 yrs)
 35 yrs out of 52 yrs...  

Yeah - the Pakistani military knows how to stay neutral.... NOT!


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## tomahawk6 (22 Aug 2008)

While the military in the third world is often seen as power hungry,the army actually fulfills the function as protector of the state.When the civilian leadership has been inept,corrupt or seen as a threat to "democracy" the army steps in. In many of these countries the military provides stability that the people respect.Look at the ROK,Thailand,Turkey and Pakistan all have had a history of intervening in politics.All after a period of time have allowed the government to return to civilian control.Its something I hope our military would do if faced with a civilian leadership that had torn up the Constitution and decided to rule as a dictatorship.Carter in 79 advised the Iranian military to not block Khomeini's return and the top leadership were executed and the Ltc/Col's went to prison.

In the case of Pakistan I think the west erred in forcing Bhuto's return. Now that her Party has returned to power we shall see what they do.They seem more intent on payback then facing the AQ/Taliban threat. I do not think the civilian government has the stones to deal effectively with the islamist threat and that means either the Army takes power again or the radicals take power.Neither is appealing but which is worse ?


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## Blackadder1916 (22 Aug 2008)

geo said:
			
		

> Pakistani military & neutral ... in one sentence.... something of an oxymoron if you ask me.  The pakistani military has been neck deep in the running of Pakistan ever *since it became an independant state (1956)*
> Iskandar Mirza 56-58  Major General (3 yrs)
> . . .



Pakistan became an independent sovereign state in 1947 (the Dominion of Pakistan with the same head of state as Canada, though their Governor General had much more real executive power) and became a republic in 1956.  

Though Mirza nominally held the rank of Major General, he is more considered a civil servant and politician.  He served only a few years in the (British) Indian Army before being accepted into the (British) Indian Political Service eventually rising to high position in the (British Indian) Ministry of Defence.  With the independence of Pakistan he became its first Defence Secretary and moved on to be its last Governor General and its first (legally elected) President.  However he did declare martial law and set the stage for Ayub Khan's coup d'etat. 

But yes, it should not be expected that the Pakistan military will keep its nose out of the running of that country.  However, it also should not be expected that the next military coup d'etat over there will be as (relatively) bloodless as the previous ones.


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## geo (22 Aug 2008)

Sorry... meant as the republic state that it is today.


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## time expired (22 Aug 2008)

The reason that the military has always been in running the country
for most of its existence is the simple fact that it is the only functioning
institution in the country.Everything else is dysfunctional and  deeply 
mired in corruption,IMHO we are in for a period of chaos and violence
that will end in the military once again taking over.Maybe this time
when the military calm things down we in the west will not be so quick
 to condemn them for their "human rights" abuses 
                                              Regards
PS And remember the military are the only ones who can keep the 
nukes out of the hands of the terrorists.


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## tomahawk6 (24 Aug 2008)

The government is close to collapse.The two main parties are arguing over the presidency - go figure.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080824/ap_on_re_as/pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's ruling coalition teetered on the brink of collapse as the two main partners squabbled over a successor to ousted President Pervez Musharraf. 


Former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, who heads the junior partner in the coalition, demanded the dominant Pakistan People's Party slash the president's powers before he would support its candidate.

Asif Ali Zardari, head of the PPP and widower of the party's assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto, agreed Saturday to run for the presidency.

Sharif also pushed forward the deadline for restoration of dozens of judges sacked by Musharraf — another key issue dividing the two main parties since they forced the president from power less than a week ago.

Still pressure was building for the two sides to end differences that appeared increasingly irreconcilable.

A Sharif aide, Pervez Rasheed, told The Associated Press on Sunday that "general opinion" in his party favored an exit from the coalition and that party leaders would meet on Monday to decide.

One of those leaders, Javed Hashmi, said Sunday that he was willing to run in the Sept. 6 election to succeed Musharraf if his party asks him to.

Presidential elections by parliament were set for Sept. 6 and the political infighting is a distraction from militant violence flaring in the volatile northwest, where 37 insurgents were killed Saturday in retaliation for a string of deadly suicide bombings.

Though Zardari is a longtime Musharraf critic, he would likely continue the former general's support for the U.S.-led war against terrorism.

But Zardari's climb to power would dismay many in this nation of 160 million who view him as a symbol of corruption that tainted its last experiment with civilian rule in the 1990s.

He won the nickname "Mr. 10 Percent" for alleged graft during his wife's turns as prime minister.

Despite the backing of the PPP, his election is far from certain.

Sharif, who heads the second-largest party in parliament, was one of Bhutto's bitter rivals and has been threatening to bolt in a struggle over power.

He demanded after meeting with Zardiri's lieutenants Saturday that the PPP agree to sharply reduce the powers of the new president before he'd support their candidate.

Sharif wants the head of state to be deprived of the constitutional right to dissolve parliament or to appoint chiefs of the armed forces — but Zardari's name was thrown into the race without any such guarantee.

Sharif, ousted by Musharraf during his 1999 coup, also pushed up a middle-of-the week deadline for the restoration of judges fired by Musharraf late last year to avoid challenges to the former strongman's rule.

He wants an agreement by Monday that all — including former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry — will be back on the bench, saying a surprise Sept. 6 presidential election date forced him to push up his deadline.

Zardari, though he wants the judges reinstated, is not quite as enthusiastic. Like Musharraf, he has accused Chaudhry of being too political, and says it should be up to parliament to decide. 

Analysts say he also might fear that the former chief justice would revive corruption cases killed off by Musharraf as part of a failed effort to form a pro-Western power-sharing deal with Bhutto before her assassination. 

The PPP, fearing the loss of its coalition partner, has already started seeking support from other smaller parties. 

The crisis comes as Pakistan is increasingly threatened by extremist violence. 

The ruling coalition — united primarily in their hatred of Musharraf — dabbled in peace talks with the militants soon after taking power five months ago, something the former president briefly tried as well. 

But after limited success, they have increasingly relied on military force to try to beat back al-Qaida and Taliban-linked insurgents in the remote and rugged tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan. 

The militants have responded with force in recent days. 

The Taliban claimed responsibility for one of the country's deadliest-ever terrorist attacks, a twin suicide bombing at a massive government weapons complex that killed 67 people and injured more than 100 on Thursday. 

On Saturday, a car packed with explosives rammed into a police station in Swat, a former tourist destination, killing six officers and injuring several, said local police official Mohib Ullahn. 

A roadside bomb in the nearby village of Bari Kot killed one civilian and injured four, said Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Taliban militants, threatening more violence unless the army stops operations against them. 

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