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Musharraf vests himself with overriding powers

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Ahead of the general elections in October this year, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday proclaimed himself as the president and the chief of the army for the next five years and vested himself with powers to dismiss the National Assembly and appoint chiefs of the three services.

Addressing a press conference in which local media from all parts of the country was invited, he said that he would continue to hold the dual posts to ensure the continuity of the reforms initiated by him, even after the October general elections.

Musharraf promulgated an ordinance restoring article-58 (2) B of the constitution giving discretionary powers to the president to dissolve the National Assembly. The article was done away with the previous Nawaz Sharief government.

The ordinance has also scrapped the 13th amendment of the constitution, which empowered the prime minister and the Cabinet to appoint the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Airforce.

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