Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [Images], who came to power following a coup in 1999, has said there will be no military takeovers in the country in the future due to the system of 'checks and balances' introduced by his government.

"The system will ensure that the martial law is never imposed again in the country," he said while addressing a gathering at the Student Convention in Islamabad on Saturday.

Noting that the martial laws were imposed by the late Generals Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zia-ul Haq, he said people should also keep in mind the circumstances under which they had been imposed.

"But the question is why had they taken over and how can this be stopped now," he said.

He defended the role of the army in undertaking development activities in seven regions of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and denied that the military continued to play a role in politics after the general elections in 2003.

The elected government was running the affairs of the country, he said. Musharraf also outlined steps being taken by him and the government to improve the conditions of the less developed provinces like southwest Baluchistan.

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