Pakistan's military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf, was sworn in as the country's President yesterday in a move seen as an attempt to strengthen his hold on power.
Gen Musharraf, who has been ordered by the Supreme Court to restore democracy by October 2002, was sworn in as the constitutional head of state by the Chief Justice, Mr Irshad Hasan Khan.
India said yesterday that it recognised his assumption of the country's presidency and would grant him appropriate treatment when he visits New Delhi next month. But Pakistani political leaders and lawyers condemned the step as illegal and unconstitutional.
Mr Qazi Husain Ahmed, leader of the country's main Islamist party, Jamaat-i-Islami, criticised the removal of President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar, 18 months before the expiry of his five-year tenure, and said Gen Musharraf's step "lacked legal and constitutional backing".
Mr Rashid Rizvi, president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, described it as "illegal and unconstitutional".
The new President said his aim was to continue efforts to revive the country's economy and insisted that the assumption of the presidency would not hamper the country's return to democracy. "I make it clear that there will be no change in the political process," he said.
Gen Musharraf said earlier that he would retain the title of chief executive which he took after ousting the Prime Minister, Mr Nawaz Sharif, in a military coup in October 1999. Parliament, which was suspended after the coup, was formally dissolved yesterday.
His move appointing himself President came less than a month before the general is due to travel to India for talks on the disputed Kashmir region.
Press reports said the new position would enable him to hold talks with the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, as an equal in terms of civilian and constitutional authority.
The prominent separatist leader in Indian Kashmir, Mr Shabir Shah, who heads the Democratic Freedom Party, said that Gen Musharraf now "will talk with authority during next month's summit".
Britain said yesterday that the general's decision to appoint himself President was a "setback" for the country's transition to democracy.
Mr Vajpayee issued a surprise invitation to Gen Musharraf last month and he will leave for New Delhi on July 14th for two days of discussions. It will be the first summit after a two-year freeze in official contacts between Pakistan and India, which followed a border conflict in Kashmir.