President’s impeachmentf: 1999 coup part of ‘charge sheet’

The draft committee of the ruling coalition, tasked to prepare a charge sheet against President Musharraf, held its meeting on the third consecutive day on Monday to give final touches to the impeachment proceedings. The committee comprises Raza Rabbani, Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Law Minister Farooq Naek, Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal.

The eight-point charge sheet is being minutely studied and members of the committee, after discussing the draft of the charge sheet with legal and constitutional experts, would submit it to coalition’s top leadership for approval.

The charge sheet includes President Musharraf’s October 12, 1999 military coup against Nawaz Sharif, suspension of constitution, declaration of emergency with the sacking of judiciary and curtailing freedom of media, Lal Masjid operation, and weakening of the federation, sources in PPP told Business Recorder. Additional charges may include allowing intervention of foreign powers in internal affairs of Pakistan, missing persons, Dr A Q Khan issue, and Benazir’s assassination, they said.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said on Monday that the impeachment motion must be viewed as a movement supported by the people. “It will be crowned with success as legislators of opposition parties have given consent to vote in favour of impeachment, besides all the parliamentarians of the ruling coalition”, she said while talking to media outside Parliament House, where she was attending the meeting of the draft committee.

Thirty-five members of PML-Q have formed a forward bloc, which will support the impeachment as they want to be assured a place in history as democrats, Sherry said. She also categorically stated that 350 members in the electoral college are supportive of the impeachment.

Therefore, there is no question of horse trading for the impeachment. However, she said, more members could join hands with the ruling alliance for the democratic movement. She said that the coalition government was focused on impeachment bid, and termed it as a journey towards real democracy. She expressed hope that the coalition would achieve its objective.