Amid demands that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf shed his army uniform before next year's general elections, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) party of the country on Monday sought a permanent end to military dominance in politics in the country.
MQM leader Muhammad Farooq Sattar, leading a six-member party delegation here, said political parties of Pakistan are currently divided into two camps over whether Musharraf should or should not give up the uniform and that they need to come together to usher in democracy in the real sense.
He told a select group of reporters here that if the army is allowed to have overriding powers in Pakistan, then "adhocism will continue" and any one-time solution will not guarantee "real, true and sustainable democracy".
Apparently taking a swipe at former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, Sattar said "the parties which claim to be champions of democracy" should come together and seek solution to the "army intervention" on permanent basis.
The Parliamentary Leader of MQM said that the issue of whether Musharraf will give up army uniform next year as promised by him is a "crucial question" in Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}The Parliamentary Leader of MQM said that the issue of whether Musharraf will give up army uniform next year as promised by him is a "crucial question" in Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}"We are not looking at this question in an isolated manner. It is not only one event. I don't know what this can trigger," Sattar said.