Pakistan president, ex-premier near deal

NF Reporter · 08-29-2007, 08:38 AM

AP - President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and former rival Benazir Bhutto have reached an agreement regarding Musharraf's military role, a key step toward a power-sharing deal, a senior official said Wednesday.

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waltky · 08-31-2007, 07:10 PM

Musharraf falling in the polls...

Political Showdown Looms in Pakistan
31 August 2007 - Pakistan braces for a major political showdown a day after exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif announced his return on September 10. Mr. Sharif says he will challenge the reelection plans of Pervez Musharraf, the man who ousted him and sent him into exile.

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Eight years after Pervez Musharraf ousted him in a military coup, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says he is coming home to challenge the Pakistani president. Speaking to reporters in London Thursday he dismissed fears that President Musharraf could have him arrested upon arrival. "He kept me 14 months in jail," said Sharif. "He kept me in solitary confinement…he now once again is threatening me, I'm not scared…"

Mr. Sharif is demanding Mr. Musharraf step down as both president and head of Pakistan's military. The showdown comes just weeks before President Musharraf is expected to seek another five-year term in office.

Public support for the Pakistani leader is plummeting. The embattled president is reportedly seeking the support of another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. Ms. Bhutto says a deal is nearing completion but insists the president must quit the army before she backs his reelection.

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waltky · 08-16-2008, 03:38 PM

Fearless W tellin' Mush to give it up...

White House Pushing Musharraf To Step Down
Aug. 14, 2008 - Top-Level Sources Say D.C. Seeking Smooth Transition To Maintain Close Ties

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The Bush administration has quietly urged embattled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to step down voluntarily rather than prolong an ongoing political crisis and face impeachment, high-ranking Pakistani government officials and Western diplomats tell CBS News. "U.S. officials have made it known to the president that it is best for him to step down and end this crisis," said one senior Pakistani government official familiar with messages conveyed to Musharraf from Washington during the last week.

Leaders of a newly-elected coalition government announced plans last Thursday to impeach Musharraf. Speaking to CBS News on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, the Pakistani official said the U.S. was keen to see an orderly transition of power, presenting Washington with the opportunity to build close ties with Musharraf's successor. The Bush administration's interest in maintaining close relations with Pakistan is built around the desire to carry forward cooperation in the war against Islamic extremism.

Pakistan, under Musharraf's leadership, has deployed as many as 150,000 military and paramilitary soldiers along its border with Afghanistan in support of the U.S. and NATO led military operations in that country. The president has worked closely with the Bush administration since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which prompted President Bush to invade Afghanistan and topple the Taliban government. The attacks also prompted Pakistan to turn its back on Afghanistan's deposed, hard-line Islamic rulers and become a U.S. ally.

More White House Pushing Musharraf To Step Down, Top-Level Sources Say D.C. Seeking Smooth Transition To Maintain Close Ties - CBS News

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Mush must quit by Sunday: Pak govt
16 Aug 2008, Mounting pressure on beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's ruling coalition on Saturday set a 24-hour deadline for him to resign or face impeachment in parliament next week as his chances of getting legal immunity dimmed.

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Musharraf is "short of time" and if he does not quit by Sunday, the impeachment proceedings will start, senior Pakistan People's Party leader and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in Multan. Pakistani media reported that with no resolution in sight to the political impasse, the ruling coalition may be turning to army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani to hasten the ouster of the President who has reportedly sought Saudi mediation but this was dismissed by Qureshi.

Speculation continued that Musharraf may step down in next 48 hours but the embattled President is holding out, making last-ditch efforts to strike a hard bargain. Musharraf is reportedly not ready to accept anything short of an "honourable" stay in Pakistan with full presidential protocol and benefits and legal cover for his actions in the event of his resignation.

But a key ally of the ruling coalition, the PML-N led by former premier Nawaz Sharif, ruled out legal cover for Musharraf. "Legal guarantees are out of question," party spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq said. The ruling coalition is giving final shape to a comprehensive chargesheet to initiate impeachment proceedings against Musharraf. The impeachment motion would be tabled in parliament within a couple of days, Farooq said adding, it contains Musharraf's "unconstitutional acts and corruption."

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