|
Islamabad: President Pervez Musharraf, facing a possible ruling coalition move to impeach him, suddenly cancelled on Wednesday his visit to China to attend the Beijing Olympics opening but withdrew his decision within hours.
"In view of special relations with China the president has decided to attend the Olympics ceremony," the Foreign Office said in a statement, adding Musharraf would leave for China today.
Earlier the Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq had disclosed that the president had scrapped the scheduled trip to China because of "developments at home" and that the Chinese government had been informed.
On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari postponed his own separate trip to the Beijing Olympics due to the political situation, his party said.
Leaders of the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) met Musharraf to discuss the threat to his future from the Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition that includes the PML-N of former premier Nawaz Sharif, Awami National Party and the Jamiat Ulema Islam.
Constitutional role
Sources said PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his cousin and opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi assured the president the party would fully defend him.
According to the sources, Musharraf vowed that he would continue to play his constitutional role and said an impeachment move would further destabilise the country and weaken the democratic institutions.
The PML-Q has around 50 seats in the directly elected 342-member National Assembly or lower house of the parliament. It however has majority in the 100-member Senate, the upper house.
In case the ruling coalition that includes minor partners, the Awami National Party and the Jamiat Ulema Islam, decides to impeach the president, it would most likely initiate the process in the lower house.
The constitution provides that a president "may be removed from office on the ground of political or mental incapacity or impeached on a charge of violating the constitution or gross misconduct".
Under the constitution, not less than one half of the total membership of either house can give an impeachment notice, setting out the charge against the president.
Within three days of receipt of such notice, the speaker of the National Assembly shall transmit it to president.
The speaker shall summon the two houses of parliament in a joint sitting "not earlier than seven days and not later than fourteen days after the receipt of the notice".
The joint sitting "many investigate or cause to be investigated the ground or the charge upon which the notice is founded".
The president shall have the right to appear and be represented during the investigation and before the joint sitting.
If the joint sitting passes an impeachment resolution by the votes of not less than two-thirds of total membership the president shall cease to hold the office immediately.
|
