ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) – Hundreds of opposition supporters protested across Pakistan on Saturday, denouncing President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s decision to retain the powerful post of army chief.
Holding black flags, about 1,500 protesters marched on a main city road in the southern city of Karachi, while nearly 600 people gathered in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Hundreds also marched in the cities of Multan and Lahore, with smaller rallies in the capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere.
But the demonstrations did not attract the thousands of protesters that organizers had hoped for, and none of the country’s top opposition leaders attended.
Liaquat Baluch, a provincial leader of a six-party opposition coalition called Mutahuda Majlis-e-Amal or United Action Forum, said the rallies were successful nonetheless in marking a “black day.”
The rallies came two days after Musharraf went on national television to explain why he was keeping the army chief post, saying it would be “extremely dangerous” for Pakistan to change track as it fights terrorism.
The opposition rejected his claim, saying the army general had not honored his promise to become a civilian president after Dec. 31, 2004.
In December 2003, Musharraf struck a deal with the coalition, agreeing to relinquish his army post by the end of 2004 in return for its support for constitutional changes allowing him to dismiss Parliament and the prime minister.
But in November, Musharraf pushed through Parliament – which is dominated by his allies – a bill allowing him to remain president and army chief until 2007.
In his Thursday address, Musharraf said the opposition must respect the mandate given to him by Parliament.
“I like to be in civilian dress, but I am in the uniform because the country needs it,” he told a large ruling party-sponsored public meeting Saturday in the eastern city of Gujrat. He asked the opposition to wait for the next parliamentary elections, set for 2007 “Right now the country needs (a) good economy, not the rallies.”
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