The Uniform
Stays Even after It’s Doffed!
By Col. Riaz Jafri
(Retd)
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
A
few big wigs of the government have made it known
that the President will doff his uniform on November
16th this year. On the other hand the anti-Musharraf
sceptics are busy creating doubts in the mind
of the general public about the President not
keeping his promise again. I think, we are a people
who excel in twisting the facts to exploit a given
situation to our own advantage.
Firstly, it is not the President who is making
any promises to take off the uniform and it is
his close associates who are saying so. Secondly,
all that he will do is to abide by the constitution
that allows him to remain in uniform till the
15th of November 2007. Promise or no promise,
he will doff it thereafter. So why indulge in
unnecessary speculations and argumentations for
and against it? He is allowed to hold both the
offices of the COAS as well as that of the President
of Pakistan till 15 November 2007, and if the
Presidential elections are held before that date,
he will naturally contest them in uniform. And
if elected, he will stay in uniform till the last
day he is allowed to wear it, that is, 15 November
2007. The next day he will doff it and take the
oath of the office of the President for the next
five years as a ‘civilian’ President.
It is as simple as that.
Now this terminology of his being a civilian President
also needs some elaboration. From 16 November
onwards he will be a Retired General of the Pakistan
army and entitled to write his rank with his name.
Like it or not, therefore, if elected as per official
protocol his name would (should) appear as “President
General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) – President
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan” in
all official documents and matters.
Incidentally, the retired officers of the defence
services - all over the world - can wear uniform
with full medals and decorations on occasions
like rallies, darbars, national days, reunions,
regimental raising days and other military ceremonial
occasions. The nation should, therefore, be not
surprised to see at times the 'out of uniform'
Musharraf still in uniform on such occasions.
