Is Pervez hoodwinking the world?
Main parties oppose referendum plan Muhammad Najeeb Islamabad, March 22 Mainstream Pakistani parties have vowed to resist the move for a referendum in May seeking political legitimacy for President Pervez Musharraf who came to power in a coup two and a half years ago. Major parties like the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif) and the Jamaat-e-Islami have challenged it on legal and political grounds. Only a few have supported the move. Those opposed to it argue that a referendum is visualised in the constitution as an exercise to elicit public opinion on a particular issue and is not meant for electing a president. The constitution has clearly laid down the procedure for electing the head of state and any appointment made contrary to the constitutional procedure is to be considered illegal, says Jamaat deputy chief Ghafoor Ahmad. Makhdoom Amin Fahim, acting chairman of the PPP, said Musharraf could not hold a referendum till the constitution was resto
