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BY promising to shed the rank of Chief of Army Staff and doff the uniform, President Pervez Musharraf may be preparing to outflank the mullas of the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) by assuming the rank of "Supreme Commander of Army" in a very real sense. "Field Marshal" Ayub Khan had set a precedent for successful dictators to follow.

The website South Asia Tribune hinted at some such development: General Musharraf and his always innovating legal and constitutional loyalists devised a brand new strategy to deal with the impossible commitment made by Musharraf to take off his uniform later this year.

According to discussions being held in the closest circles of the General, his Bridge and Golf buddies, his all-purpose aide Tariq Aziz and, for a change, the Chairman of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Choudhry Ahmed Saeed, this strategy was vital to keep Musharraf in power and somehow technically meet the commitment to take off his Army Chief’s uniform.

Musharraf had, as part of his deal with the religious alliance, the MMA, promised that before 2004 was out, he would quit the post of Army Chief to become the full fledged "elected" president of the country. Through the innovative idea of a vote of confidence by the national and provincial legislatures, instead of an election, he managed to get a two/third vote for his much-hated legal framework order (LFO), now part of the Constitution. But the trickiest part was his promise on his uniform. SA Tribune learnt that serious discussion had gone on how to skirt that issue in a way that the promise is met and Musharraf retains control of the Army.

The innovators in the Musharraf camp, according to circles close to the PIA Chairman, who was part of some discussions on the subject, the following strategy was being worked out:

• Musharraf will around October/November appoint a new Chief of Army Staff, a man of his confidence who will wear the uniform which presently belongs to Musharraf.

• But Musharraf himself will keep on wearing the Khakis in his capacity as the "Supreme Commander" of the Armed Forces which under the Constitution every President of Pakistan is supposed to be under Article 243(1A).

• Through some changes in relevant laws, the ceremonial position of the Supreme Commander will be turned into an effectively executive position so that Musharraf will continue to chair the meetings of the Corps Commanders and Chiefs of Joint Staff Committee, thus keeping tight grip on his junta.