Musharraf has decided to quit, says report

With pressure piling up on Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf, the former military ruler has decided in principle to quit and will announce his decision in this regard on the country's Independence Day on August 14, a media report has said.

If he resigns ahead of the impeachment motion being moved in Parliament, the PPP-led ruling coalition will give him safe passage, a senior leader of the opposition PML-Q was quoted as saying by the Daily Times newspaper.

A suggestion given to Musharraf is to 'apologise to the people of Pakistan and the judiciary for sacking' Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other members of the superior judiciary and restore them before quitting, the report said.

While another advice given to him is to restore the judges and say that he will accept whatever judgment they give on the validity of his presidential election last year and the legitimacy of the Provisional Constitution Order through which he had imposed emergency in November.

The report said it was 'not known what decision he has taken in this regard'.

If he resigns, the besieged President will remain in the Presidency for a while as allowed by law until he is able to shift to his newly built home in Chak Shahzad on the outskirts of Islamabad, and 'possibly leave the country a few weeks hence', it said.

Leaders of the ruling coalition said yesterday that the impeachment motion and chargesheet against Musharraf is expected to be submitted in parliament next week. The motion will be submitted after the four provincial assemblies pass resolutions asking him to seek a vote of confidence in Parliament.

Such resolutions have already been passed by the assemblies of Punjab and North West Frontier Province. The assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan are expected to pass resolutions within this week.

Musharraf sacked the judges and imposed emergency when the Supreme Court was about to rule on a challenge against his re-election in uniform by the outgoing National and provincial assemblies. It was widely expected that the apex court would have invalidated his re-election.