Musharraf to remain Pak Prez till Nov 15

Pervez Musharraf's term as Pakistan President will expire on November 15 but he will remain in uniform till a new Army chief is appointed to replace him, the General's counsel told the Supreme Court, which had sought to know when his dual office period would come to an end.

Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, Musharraf's counsel, said this in a written reply to the seven-member bench headed by reinstated Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

The bench, while hearing a petition from Jamaat-e-Islami challenging an act that allows Musharraf to hold the two offices of the President and the Army Chief, had yesterday pointedly asked Pirzada to enquire from the President when his dual office period would come to an end.

Akram Sheikh, counsel for Jamaat-e-Islami, objected to the reply from the President's counsel, and said that no reply has been submitted from the Federation, another respondent in the case.

Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum said he needed a month's time to submit a reply. Rejecting the plea, the Chief Justice said that he can only be given a week's time.