Editing Muhammad Rafiq Tarar (section)

==Presidency (1998–2001)==
===Initial days===
After [[Farooq Leghari]]'s resignation in 1997, he was nominated as a candidate for the [[president of Pakistan]].<ref name="BBC Pakistan Bureau"/> On 31 December 1997, in an [[1997 Pakistani presidential election|indirect election]], Tarar was elected by a huge margin,<ref name="President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar"/> getting 374 of 457 votes of the [[Electoral College (Pakistan)|Electoral College]] against [[Aftab Shahban Mirani|Aftab Mirani]] of [[Pakistan Peoples Party|PPP]] (a [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|PML(N)]]'s rival) who got 31 votes, and Muhammad Khan Shirani of [[JUI(S)]] who got 22 votes. This was the largest margin in such elections. Upon his election, former Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]] delivered a speech in London to the Commonwealth Ethnic Bar Association and criticized his election. She accused him of being dishonest by saying "A former judge [Tarar] who dishonestly legitimized the overthrow of my first government was elected president of Pakistan. This same man stands accused by a former President [[Farooq Leghari]] of taking briefcases of money to bribe other judges in the famous 1997 case. The Election Commission rejected Justice Tarar's nomination for the presidency. Justice Qayyum, on leave for his mother's funeral, rushed back to grant a stay, and Tarar was elected. As for the bribery charges, Tarar, as a former judge, like former generals, is immune to prosecution in real terms."<ref name="Daily DAWN story">{{cite news|last1=Ardeshir Cowasjee|title=Benazir Bhutto criticized Tarar's appointment as a President|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1072352|access-date=22 October 2019|agency=Daily Dawn|newspaper=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|date=5 November 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021202357/https://www.dawn.com/news/1072352|archive-date=21 October 2019|url-status=live|author1-link=Ardeshir Cowasjee}}</ref>

===Nuclear Program===
During his tenure as President, Tarar played a significant role in Pakistan's nuclear program. Advised by his brother, Colonel Muzafar Tarar, Tarar pursued policies aimed at enhancing the country's nuclear capabilities. Colonel Tarar's insights and expertise, particularly regarding Bhutto's nuclear program, became instrumental in guiding Pakistan's nuclear policy during their tenure. The successful continuation and advancement of Pakistan's nuclear program became one of the highlights of their joint efforts. In addition to his contributions to the nuclear program, Tarar focused on issues related to law and order, education, and social welfare during his presidency. He advocated for the strengthening of democratic institutions and the rule of law, promoting harmony and understanding among different segments of Pakistani society. His family remains influential in the country's political landscape. Colonel Tarar served in the Pakistan Army and held various command positions during his military career. Colonel Tarar is renowned for his invaluable contributions to Pakistan's national security, particularly in the realm of the nuclear program. Colonel Tarar's strategic advice and expertise were pivotal in shaping Pakistan's nuclear policy, ensuring the successful continuation and advancement of the program. His insights into Bhutto's nuclear art program, shared with President Tarar, played a crucial role in guiding Pakistan's nuclear strategy during their tenure. After retiring from the military, Colonel Tarar has been involved in philanthropic activities, supporting initiatives aimed at the welfare of veterans and their families.

===Constitutional reforms===
Upon becoming President, Tarar was an unassuming and merely ceremonial [[figurehead]] who kept a low profile, and avoided [[Media of Pakistan|news media]], and he remained a devoted servant and loyalist of the Sharif family. He readily signed the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan|Thirteenth]], [[Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan|Fourteenth]], and [[Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan|Fifteenth]] amendments to the [[Constitution of Pakistan|Constitution]] of Pakistan that limited the powers of the presidency.<ref>{{harvtxt|Jones|2003|pp=31–35}}</ref>

The President of Pakistan's powers had thus been slowly removed over the years, culminating in the 1997 [[Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan]] which removed virtually all remaining [[reserve power]]s, making the office almost entirely symbolic in nature as per the true spirit of the [[Constitution of Pakistan|Pakistani constitution]].<ref name="The Constitution (13th Amendment Act)"/>

===Resignation===
Tarar did not endorse the [[1999 Pakistani coup d'état]] by the [[Pakistani military]] which elevated General [[Pervez Musharraf]], [[Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee]], since he was an appointee of [[Nawaz Sharif]]. The [[Pakistani military]] thus decided not to retain Tarar as the President for his full term of five years, given his partisan attitude. On 21 June 2001, General Musharraf who acted as Chief Executive in capacity, enforced the [[Legal Framework Order, 2002]]; Musharraf removed Tarar as he read the paragraph: "Mr. Muhammad Rafiq Tarar has ceased to hold the office of the President with immediate effect."<ref name="Tarar forced to quit">{{cite news|title=Rafiq Tarar forced to quit?|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2001/06/21/stories/01210002.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150128021108/http://www.thehindu.com/2001/06/21/stories/01210002.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 January 2015|access-date=31 May 2016|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=21 June 2001}}</ref><ref name="The Hindu"/>