Aides Say Musharraf Will Step Down

Pakistan’s beleaguered president Pervez Musharraf is to step down after nine years in office, government officials and a member of his circle have told the Financial Times.

A senior officer in Mr Musharraf’s camp on Thursday conceded that he had decided to step down to avoid a parliamentary impeachment that was likely to begin on Monday.

A senior Pakistani government official said that a deal had been brokered between president Musharraf and members of the newly elected coalition government, with the army playing a key role in the agreement.

“The president will neither be impeached nor prosecuted on any charges. He will try and stay in Pakistan,” said the official.

Politicians from Pakistan’s coalition government promised last week to seek a parliamentary vote to impeach Mr Musharraf, and are preparing a charge sheet to lay down the accusations against him formally.

Government officials said Mr Musharraf had been advised by some of his closest friends to resign before Monday, when formal impeachment proceedings are expected to begin in parliament.

His demand that he be allowed to retire to his farm in Islamabad and that there be no moves to prosecute him once out of office appeared to have been the main stumbling block.

“The army does not want President Musharraf to be insulted and the generals want both of the president’s demands to be met,” said a senior government official on Thursday ahead of reports of the deal.

But Mr Musharraf’s position has been weakened by reports that the powerful Pakistani military, which he led as army chief of staff until November last year, had withdrawn its support.

At the time that impeachment proceedings were first mooted last week, some form of intervention was still seen as a possibility by the army. However, they have since retreated to a position of strict neutrality on the issue.

“President Musharraf has lost his last card. The army’s support might have made a difference to his future,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a political commentator.

The political push to impeach Mr Musharraf has been gaining momentum in recent days.

On Friday, Baluchistan’s provincial legislature is likely to pass a resolution calling for impeachment. Similar resolutions have been passed this week by Pakistan’s three other provinces. Such resolutions have no binding effect, but strengthen the government’s case.

In a speech to mark Pakistan’s independence day on Wednesday night, Mr Musharraf had called for national unity in the face of economic and security challenges.

But his beleaguered position was highlighted by the manner of his speech.

Pakistan’s independence day is normally marked by a ceremony at the presidential residence in Islamabad. But the coalition government cancelled this year’s event, citing austerity during difficult economic times.

Mr Musharraf’s speech was delivered after a musical evening organised by Pakistan’s state-controlled television. No diplomats attended.