Pak to Establish National Security Council

����Pakistan will form a six-member National Security Council comprising of the chief executive, three service chiefs, experts of legal, finance, foreign and international affairs, Chief Executive General Pervaiz Musharraf said October 17 night.

����In his half-hour televised speech to the nation, Musharraf said the martial law will not be imposed in the country.

����He said the constitution has been temporarily held in abeyance and made it clear that this is not a martial law but only an other part towards democracy.

����"The armed forces have no intention to stay in charge any longer than absolutely necessity to pave the way for the democracy to flourish in Pakistan," assured the general.

����He said the objectives of his government will be to build national confidence and morale, strengthen federation, remove inter-provincial disharmony and restore national cohesion, revive economy and restore investors' confidence, ensure law and order and dispense speedy justice, deploiticise state institutions, devolute the powers to the grassroot level, swift and across the broad accountability.

����Musharraf, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and chief of the Army Staff, staged a coup on October 12 overthrowing the 31-month-old government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif.