Islamists vowed on Sunday to resist plans by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to stay on as head of the army, breaking his pledge to quit the post by the end of the year. Qazi Hussain Ahmed, a central leader of the opposition Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Islamic alliance, said the Islamists would mark January 1 as a “black day” if Musharraf did not keep his promise. “Musharraf has become a security risk for the country”, Hussain told a rain-soaked anti-government rally of about 5,000 people in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad.

“We will observe a black day on January 1 if Musharraf keeps the uniform of army chief”, Hussain told the crowd, who chanted “Allahu Akbar” and “Down with Musharraf.” Hussain said the Islamist alliance would meet on December 24 to announce its future plan of action. The rally was part of the public campaign the alliance launched last month in an effort to force Musharraf to step down from his leadership of the army. Analysts said the political temperature was likely to rise after Musharraf’s statement on a private television network on Saturday that he would stay on as army chief after December 31.

Musharraf pledged last year to shed his military uniform by the end of 2004 in return for support for constitutional changes validating his rule as president and giving him extensive power under a deal with an alliance of Islamist parties. Parliament, where pro-military groups have a majority, passed a bill last month allowing Musharraf to keep the dual offices of president and army chief. In the television interview Musharraf, who took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, also promised to tell Pakistanis within days why he had changed his mind. He had previously signalled that he believed quitting as army chief would undermine Pakistan’s support for the US-led war on terror and his efforts to make peace with India. He has also said an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis want him to remain chief of the power-ful military.

Opposition in disarray

Musharraf also faces challenges from opposition groups, including the Pakistan People’s Party of self-exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. But political analysts said the protests were unlikely to pose a threat to Musharraf’s rule because the ruling party was pro-military, its allies had a parliamentary majority, and opposition groups were disorganised. Political commentator Najam Sethi said Musharraf’s statement was not surprising and it was unclear if the opposition could unite enough to launch an effective challenge.

“The ball is now squarely in the opposition’s court”, he told Reuters. “Musharraf will keep his rule firm with support from the United States and the military, as there is no possibility of a mass uprising”.

Western countries have criticised Musharraf’s democratic credentials, but not too loudly because of his role in the US-led hunt for al Qaeda militants held responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. The military has ruled Pakistan for more than half the 57 years since independence from British colonial rule.