Movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf

The movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf was an August 2008 attempt by the Pakistan Peoples Party

Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...

(PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League (N)

Pakistan Muslim League (N)

The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...

(PML-N), Awami National Party

Awami National Party

The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...

(ANP), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is a political party in Pakistan. It formed a combined government in national elections in 2002 and 2008...

to force Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

's President

President of Pakistan

The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...

Pervez Musharraf

Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...

out of office.

Background

On November 3, 2007, President and then-Chief of the Army Staff Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency

2007 Pakistani state of emergency

A state of emergency was declared by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on November 3, 2007, and lasted until December 15, 2007,during which time the constitution of Pakistan was suspended....

, postponing indefinitely the elections for the National Assembly of Pakistan

National Assembly of Pakistan

The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...

that were initially scheduled to take place on January 8, 2008. The emergency announcement also contained news of the dismissal of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the current Chief Justice of Pakistan.He became chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court in 2005 and soon became not only a central figure in the nation's political struggles but an icon to the country's legal profession and others campaigning for the rule of law...

, widely considered to have been motivated by a prediction that the Supreme Court was about to invalidate Musharraf's October reelection as President of Pakistan in uniform. This action, combined with a broad-based pro-democracy movement occurring in Pakistan at the time, led to a precipitous fall in Musharraf's popularity. Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto

Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of elections due in January 2008...

, the Pakistani Election Commission announced that the election would occur on February 18. The elections were won by the PPP and the PML-N, two parties hostile to Musharraf and his Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections....

party.

Details

On August 7, 2008, the Pakistan Peoples Party

Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...

and the Pakistan Muslim League (N)

Pakistan Muslim League (N)

The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...

agreed to ask Musharraf to get the Vote of Confidence from the National and Provisional Assemblies or step down, and began his impeachment

Impeachment

Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....

. Asif Ali Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....

and Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif

Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...

announced that the two parties would be sending a joint request asking that Musharraf step down, and that they would impeach him through the parliamentary process if he refused. Musharraf, however, said, "I will defeat those who try to push me to the wall. If they use their right to oust me, I have the right to defend myself." Upon hearing the news, Musharraf delayed his departure for the Beijing Olympics by a day, and it was later announced that he would be replaced at the opening ceremonies by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. The government summoned the National Assembly for a session on August 11 to begin the impeachment proceedings. Capt. Wasif Syed, spokesman for the Pakistan People's Party, confirmed the announcement, saying, "A decision has been made that he has to go now, and all the parties have agreed on this point." To impeach Musharraf, the ruling coalition will need a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, and it is not certain that they control the required number of votes. Musharraf still has the option to fight his impeachment by dissolving parliament, although doing so could cause a backlash, and he would likely need the support of Pakistan's army to be successful.

Zardari announced on TV that the impeachment would be under s.47 of the Pakistani Constitution. This provides the process for impeachment, but he did not mention the grounds. The 2007 impeachment proceedings, which led to the imposition of emergency rule, were based upon the provisions prohibiting the President of Pakistan from holding "an office of profit" from the Pakistan Government. Although many of the people no longer support Musharraf, some have emphasized the positive points of Musharraf's Presidency.

Pakistan's ruling coalition, on August 16, gave Musharraf a Tuesday, August 19 deadline to resign. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Hussain Qureshi is well-known Politician in Pakistan. He was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan in the coalition government of PPP, Muttahida Quami Movement[MQM], ANP and JUI-F formed after the 2008 general elections. He was a senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party, where...

said Musharraf must resign to avoid being impeached "by today or tomorrow, as there is no room for any delay". Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar

Ahmed Mukhtar

Ahmed Mukhtar Arabic ,أحمد مختار is an Iraqi musician who is internationally renowned for his playing of the oud. He was born in Baghdad and is a graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad.- Biography :...

announced that "the charge sheet will be presented in parliament by Tuesday." No president has ever been impeached in Pakistan's 61-year history. Presidential aides, however, said Musharraf refused to leave office under pressure. Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party

Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...

co-chairman Asif Zardari said that the next president of the country may very well be a woman, denying he was a presidential candidate: "I would have become the prime minister if I wished to become president." Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif

said: "I am not personally interested. It should go to a person who actually enjoys the support of the people of Pakistan. I think best would be somebody from Balochistan

Balochistan (Pakistan)

Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...

of course there is a sense of deprivation in the province of Balochistan, perhaps that will be a better choice."

Resignation

On August 18, 2008, in a speech defending his record, Musharraf announced that he will resign In the August 18 negotiations which failed over the legal technicalities, he sought immunity from prosecution if he resigns before the impeachment proceedings. On asylum

Right of asylum

Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...

, Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...

on "Fox News Sunday

Fox News Sunday

Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace is a public affairs program on the Fox network, hosted by Chris Wallace and airing on Sunday mornings. The show began on April 28, 1996, which predated the launch of Fox News Channel, and usually talks about items similar to Sunday morning talk shows...

" said that "Musharraf would not be going to the United States. This is an issue that is not on the table." Musharraf stated he will stay in Pakistan in a house he is building in an exclusive enclave in Islamabad

Islamabad

Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...

near a golf club.

Musharraf, 65, announced his resignation, in a 1 p.m. televised address to avoid impeachment

Impeachment

: "After viewing the situation and consulting legal advisers and political allies, with their advice I have decided to resign. I leave my future in the hands of people. Not a single charge in the impeachment can stand against me. No charge can be proved against me because I never did anything for myself, it was all for Pakistan. On the map of the world, Pakistan is now an important country, by the grace of Allah. Whether I win or lose the impeachment, the nation will lose. They don’t realize they can succeed against me but the country will undergo irreparable damage. My resignation will go to the speaker of the National Assembly today." In an emotional 1 hour speech, Musharraf raised his clenched fists to chest height, and said, "Long live Pakistan!" Nasir Ali Khan, a senior member of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, said Musharraf will stay in Pakistan, a request he had insisted on. Meanwhile, the Constitution provides that a new president must be chosen within 30 days. The resignation permits the 4-month-old coalition government to choose a new president by a vote of the Parliament and provincial assemblies. US-based Newsweek

Newsweek

Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...

magazine reported that "the president would 'fly into exile in Saudi Arabia, where he is to remain for the next three months."
The British Daily Telegraph reported an unnamed Western diplomat as saying that, after a pilgrimage to Mecca

Mecca

Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...

, Musharraf might settle in London.

Presidential election

Pakistan's Election Commission on August 22 announced that Presidential elections will be held on September 6, and the nomination papers can be filed from August 26. The president is elected by the 2 houses of parliament and the 4 provincial assemblies.

International reaction

United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...

spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos
Gonzalo Gallegos
Gonzalo Gallegos is the Director of the United States Department of State’s Office of Press Relations. Mr. Gallegos, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, is the Director of the State Department’s Office of Press Relations...

said, "We have consistently said the internal politics of Pakistan is an issue for the Pakistani people to decide," adding, "Our expectation is that any action will be consistent with the rule of law and the Pakistani constitution."

External links

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