ISLAMABAD: Former Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary Kanwar Dilshad proposed an Asim Munir presidency through a temporary constitutional amendment if the office fell vacant during an extraordinary crisis.
Speaking on the WE News program, Journalism and Politics, Dilshad said Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir should assume the presidency or lead a transitional arrangement.
He also called for the dismissal of the incumbent federal cabinet in the interview. Munir serves concurrently as Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, according to the President’s Secretariat.
Dilshad said Parliament could amend Article 41 if President Asif Ali Zardari left office and prevailing conditions prevented the regular electoral college from choosing a successor.
He also suggested seeking guidance from the Federal Constitutional Court. However, the Constitution of Pakistan currently requires both houses of Parliament and the provincial assemblies to elect the president.
Article 41 requires an election within 30 days of a vacancy, except when the National Assembly stands dissolved.
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Article 49 assigns the Senate chairman, or the National Assembly speaker if the chairman cannot serve, to act as president until the electoral college elects a successor.
Dilshad presented the constitutional change as his personal proposal, not an announced initiative of the federal government or Parliament.
He cited alleged institutional corruption, administrative failures and weak government control over the bureaucracy as reasons for suggesting the arrangement.
