Nov 28: With mounting domestic and international pressure, Pakistan president has finally left the post of Army Chief and handed it over to his assistant and near-and-dear General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani at the army headquarter today. He will likely to take new oath as a civilian President for further period on Thursday as per media reports.
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf today relinquished the army command to his amicable and assistant General Pervez Kayani in his farewell ceremony at army’s headquarter in Rawalpindi.
It is assuming that President Musharraf has taken off the army uniform in the tremendous domestic as well as international pressure. The Pakistani public was opposing Musharraf for his double role duty and asking him to quit one of any post very soon. USA and other powerful countries were also pressurising former general to choosing only one responsibility.
Musharraf had already promised to the public of the country to quit army when he would see the optimum time. As keeping his promise ex-general has now handed over the baton to general Kayani in a formal farewell ceremony.
Musharraf is now only the civilian president and for performing formalities we will likely to be sworn on Thursday for the next duration of president period as per Pakistani media reports.
The experts still believe that after quitting army uniform formally, President Musharraf still has huge power in his hand including the power to suspend elected prime minister and whole members of parliament.
The army command has gone under his close supporter, so still he would have enough hampers in the military, as Pakistani and foreigners intellectuals and experts believes.
He will also sustain the army guards as his personal bodyguard as per military official reports.
Handing the baton to his successor, General Musharraf said in his address, “ The army is his ‘life’ and it has been the passion of his life”. Admiring the country’s army president said, “he is proud to have been the commander of this great force". President Musharraf has served army for 46 years; “I am bidding farewell to the army after having been in uniform for 46 years”, said Musharraf emotionally in his speech.
Praising his heir, Musharraf said in his last speech in the military uniform, “He's an excellent soldier” “I can say with full confidence that the armed forces will reach great heights under his command." said Musharraf.
General Kayani had been the Chief of Pakistani Intelligence Service as his descendant in October.
Earlier in the farewell ceremony, Musharraf came in the farewell ceremony in full and proper military dress. General Kayani saluted him and general Musharraf also inspected ‘Guard of honour’.
Pakistani military band played national anthem of Pakistan. General Musharraf was looking steady and tough during all ceremony while he became emotional during delivering his speech. All the ceremony was live telecasted in Pakistani national channel PTV.
On the other hand, the protestors of Musharraf still not believe to going on restoring the complete democracy in the country. Though both former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto have come back in the country and also have filled the nomination paper decided to scheduled on January 08 next year, yet they believes that no proper democracy can be carried on until emergency sustains.
Opposition leaders Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are still denying Pervez Musharraf in the civilian dress and asked him to lift emergency well before the parliamentary election.
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