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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 004209 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PK
SUBJECT: REACTION TO PRO-MUSHARRAF RULING 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 4206 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Musharraf's spokesman lauded the September 28 
Supreme Court ruling allowing the President to run for 
re-election in uniform and called on all sides to respect the 
rule of law.  Musharraf's coalition partner, the Muttahida 
Qaumi Movement (MQM), called on Musharraf to doff his uniform 
before the October 6 presidential election. 
Amid street protests by lawyers' groups, the Election 
Commission September 29 approved the candidacy of Musharraf, 
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) nominee Amin Fahim and 
Wajihuddin Ahmed, a retired justice.  Fahim and Ahmed may 
challenge Musharraf's candidacy in the courts next week.  The 
opposition continues to try and organize a mass resignation 
October 2 from the National and Provincial Assemblies.  End 
summary. 
 
"President respects ruling." 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) "The President respects and honors the judgment of the 
Supreme Court, as always," said presidential spokesman Rashid 
Qureshi.  Government supporters celebrated into the night 
after the Supreme Court ruled late September 28 to dismiss on 
technical grounds the challenges to Musharraf's right to run 
for re-election in uniform.  The press framed this 
pro-Musharraf ruling as a "great victory" for the President 
after a summer of losses before the same court. 
 
¶3. (U) Speaking at an emergency cabinet meeting, Prime 
Minister Shaukat Aziz urged the opposition "to show enough 
courage to accept the ruling as justice demands."  Aziz 
turned to the October 6 election, predicting that the ruling 
Pakistan Muslim League (PML)-MQM coalition would have enough 
votes to elect Musharraf and would not seek the support of 
any other parties, including the PPP.  MQM leaders called the 
Supreme Court decision "historic," but also urged Musharraf 
to take off the uniform before the October 6 election. 
 
Bhutto: "This is a temporary reprieve." 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) PPP leader Benazir Bhutto is quoted as saying that 
"this is a temporary reprieve and the real test will come 
when the nomination is challenged."  Reacting to the 
technical grounds on which the petitions were rejected by the 
Court, Bhutto predicted that Musharraf would face another 
"more serious" legal challenge once his nomination was 
accepted by the Election Commission. 
 
Disunited Opposition 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The All Pakistan Democratic Movement (APDM) opposition 
group organized by Nawaz Sharif offered resigned disapproval. 
 PML-Nawaz acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi (recently 
released from jail) labeled the Court's ruling as "a 
continuation of the infamous doctrine of necessity," used by 
prior military dictatorships.  The APDM continues to try and 
organize a mass resignation October 2 from the National and 
Provincial Assemblies in order to embarrass Musharraf.  But 
the religious block in APDM remains divided on the issue and, 
without PPP support, this endeavor also threatens to fizzle 
out. 
 
Election Commission Validates; Police Overreact 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6. (C) The Election Commission September 29 approved the 
nominations for Musharraf, PPP candidate Amin Fahim and 
former Supreme Court Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed.  Attorneys for 
Fahim and Ahmed registered their objections with the Election 
Commission to Musharraf's eligibility; the Commission 
promptly rejected them.  Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling was 
based largely on the technicality that the petitioners had no 
stake in the process; today, there are two opposition 
candidates who now have a legal stake and may act upon it. 
Ahmed likely will appeal next week to the Supreme Court. 
Fahim told A/DCM that if the Musharraf-Bhutto power sharing 
agreement is not completed by October 1, he is considering 
 
ISLAMABAD 00004209  002 OF 002 
 
 
another legal challenge to Musharraf as well. 
 
¶7. (C) Police were again massed in riot control gear 
September 29 in front of the Election Commission and the 
Supreme Court.  Several hundred lawyers clashed with police, 
who fired tear gas into the crowd.  Several people, including 
journalists, were injured, and at least two participants were 
hospitalized. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) The pro-Musharraf decision by the Supreme Court was 
not a surprise, and much of the reaction by the GOP and the 
various opposition groups was pre-scripted.  The PPP is 
predicating its next steps on progress in the ongoing 
Musharraf-Bhutto negotiations, but they are running out of 
time to seal the agreement.  The rest of the opposition has 
so far been unable to unite on a common strategy to embarrass 
Musharraf with a mass resignation on October 2.  Musharraf's 
legal battles could resume as early as Monday.  End Comment. 
 
PATTERSON