Army has no political role, says PPP
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan’s army must stay out of politics, the party of slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said Friday, as it worked to build a government that can strip its ex-military president of much of his power. President Pervez Musharraf, meanwhile, urged the victors of Feb. 18 elections to “stop politicking and move toward forming a government.” He said parliament would be convened within a week and a half.
“I promise that if peace is maintained, I will support whichever coalition is formed,” he said. Bhutto’s party won most seats in the elections that are supposed to return Pakistan to democracy after eight years of military rule. Musharraf’s allies fared badly. Negotiations are still underway on forming a coalition government but the winning parties appear on a collision course with the former army strongman, which could herald fresh turmoil in a country under attack from Islamic militants.
During his tenure, Musharraf entrenched the military’s say in policymaking. He imposed de facto martial law last year in order to secure a new five-year presidential term for himself — with the public backing of his fellow generals. A spokesman for Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party welcomed a pledge Thursday from Musharraf’s successor as army chief to “stay out of the political process.” But he said the value of that commitment “lies in how sincerely and effectively it is implemented.” “While hoping that the army would stay out of politics, the party (will) watch keenly whether it really stays out,” spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in an e-mailed statement.
Generals have governed Pakistan for more than half of its turbulent 60-year history. Coup makers such as Musharraf insist that they stepped in to save the country from incompetent civilian governments, but they have proved reluctant to relinquish control.
After twenty years CEDAW (UN’s Convention on the Elimination ofDiscrimination Against Women) was signed, ratified and accepted by the Legal Affairs Office of the United Nations during PPP government. A Commission of Inquiry for Women, headed by a Supreme Court judgewas constituted to recommend the removal of disparities and discrimination in the existing laws against women the report of which has since been made public. 5 to 10 % quota in the public and private sectors was reserved forwomen and family courts were set up. Lifted the ban on Pakistani women taking part in InternationalSporting events and established a separate Women Sports Board.
The First Women Bank was set up for women to extend credit facilitiesand loans exclusively to women. Women Police Stations were set up and more women were brought in thelaw enforcing agencies. A Human Rights Division was set up to focus on the violation of Human Rights primarily of women and to redress their grievances.
He said that when the PPP stand on the Hudood Ordinances 1979, which were patently discriminatory against women forced the regime to adopt the Women Protection Bill the Party supported the Bill despite being inthe opposition. The PPP supported this half measure for the sake of women as the first critical step towards complete repeal of the Hudood Ordinances, he said.
Senator Zardari said that had the PPP continued in Government, therewould have been women in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the senior most woman judge that should have been taken into the Supreme Court was not which in our view was a clear sign of genderdiscrimination under the present regime. “On this day also I appeal to all the political parties to join hands beyond partisan politics to extricate women from the agony and shame of discriminatory laws. Bhutto’s party won most seats in the elections that are supposed to return Pakistan to democracy after eight years of military rule.