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Seek Parliament's approval, Zia's son tells Musharraf

Former military ruler General Zia-ul Haq's son Ejaz-ul Haq has asked Pakistan's chief executive General Pervez Musharraf to convene Parliament and get his action of toppling the Nawaz Sharief government last month ratified.

Ejaz-ul Haq, who is a senior vice-president of the erstwhile ruling Muslim League, told the British Broadcasting Corporation on Saturday night that General Musharraf would find no difficulty in obtaining ratification because he had the support of both Muslim League and non-Muslim League members of Parliament.

Ejaz-ul Haq has been campaigning against the deposed Nawaz Sharif reportedly in the hope of becoming the next prime minister if the Muslim League government is restored minus the former prime minister.

His father General Zia-ul Haq, who had toppled then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in July 1977, had got his action ratified by a captive Parliament in October 1985 as a condition for lifting the martial law. The ratification then became part of the eight amendments he had effected in the Constitution before reviving it.

However, it is still too early to say how many anti-Nawaz Sharief members will oblige the general on a question that affects the very status of democracy in the country. The suspended Constitution provides severe punishment for anyone who subverts or abrogates the Constitution.

On Saturday about 70 members of the Muslim League's central committee met and for the first time condemned the military action and demanded restoration of democracy.

UNI

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