ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday announced that he would give up his uniform before Dec 31, 2004.

In a nationwide address soon after an agreement was signed between the MMA and the ruling coalition led by the PML-Q on the Legal Framework Order, the president, wearing his commando outfit, said there was pressure on him from his well-wishers not to give up his uniform.

“After giving it serious thought, I have decided to give up my uniform before Dec 31, 2004 for creating political harmony in the country. I will select the date myself within this period.”

Describing the government-MMA agreement as historic, the president said such moments came in a nation’s life when decisions had to be taken by rising above personal considerations.

“Such an occasion had arisen and I took the decision in greater national interest,” he said, terming it a “difficult decision”.

Gen Musharraf said he had no doubt about his presidency, but for the sake of political harmony he had decided to seek a vote of confidence from parliament and provincial assemblies.

The president was of the view that the establishment of the National Security Council was important for “sustainable” democracy and said the NSC would be created through an act of parliament.

The general said he would appoint services chiefs in “consultation” with the prime minister, but clarified that the final decision would be his.

Referring to the local government system, he said under the agreement the law about the local government system would come out of the Sixth Schedule after six years. The laws which are part of the Sixth Schedule cannot be amended by parliament without prior approval of the president.

He said by the time those laws would come out of Sixth Schedule, two local government elections would have taken place in 2005 and 2009. He hoped that the local government system, which according to him had brought a silent revolution to the country, would have taken root by then.

The president said he had given three years extension to the superior court judges, keeping in view the recommendations of the Pakistan Law Commission and the international practice.

However, he noted, there was hue and cry on the issue and said he had decided not to give any extension to the retirement age. This means that the existing constitutional age of retirement will remain the same — 62 for the high court judges and 65 for the Supreme Court judges.

The president said he had taken the decision in consultation with senior judges and lawyers. He said parliament would be fully empowered to extend the retirement age, if it deemed fit.

He hoped that after the agreement all political parties would extend cooperation and work for strengthening democracy. He said the agreement signed today between the government and the MMA was not a victory for any one and that nobody had lost. Only those who had small minds would think in these terms, he added.