Friday, June 3 2005 13:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: If Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf decides to contest the 2007 elections he will do so as a civilian, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has said.

Musharraf would give up his uniform if he decides to contest the 2007 polls, Kasuri told NDTV.

"The President himself was the first to admit that head of State should not be in uniform and he has said so...No, he may contest the second term but I think it will be without the uniform because he has said so," Kasuri said.

Referring to Musharraf's speech on the issue, Kasuri said that the President had given a few reasons (for being in uniform) and one of them was improvement of relations with India and the peace process, adding, "There is a lot of merit in what he says."

Kasuri said he himself was not in favour of a President with uniform. "I am not in favour of a President with uniform. Look at our special circumstances. President Musharraf himself is not in favour of a uniform. He said it on record."

He said in his opinion "if and when (because he has not made his intention clear) he contests the next elections as President, it will be as a civilian President".

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had said last month that Musharraf will contest the 2007 polls.

Musharraf, in an interview to a local daily last week responded by saying, "these are individual opinions. I don't want to comment on it. There are two years to go. Let's see what happens."