Face or resign

ISLAMABAD (Agencies) - President Pervez Musharraf has said that he was reviewing political developments in the country and will decide future course of action after considering the charges levelled against him.

Musharraf was talking to PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who called on him on Saturday. Shujaat asked President Pervez Mushrraf to face the impeachment. The PML-Q President said that the country could not afford confrontation any more.

Shujaat told Musharraf if the President would face impeachment democratically, then the PML-Q would stand by him.

However, Chaudhry Shujaat made it clear that if the President tries to use 58-2(b), then he will have no support from PML-Q. Shujaat suggested Musharraf that he should step down before the start of the impeachment proceedings and the President should avail the opportunity to make an honourable exit.

Shujaat said the President will not use his powers to dissolve the National Assembly to pre-empt moves to impeach him.

After meeting Musharraf, Shujaat removed lingering fears he will undo the transition to democracy after nine years of military rule by dismissing the Assembly.

"He doesn't have any such intention," Shujaat told a private TV channel. Musharraf has stated that he would decide his future course of action after considering the allegations levelled against him.

Musharraf has not made any public response since Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif declared their plan on Thursday to oust him.

Some allies say Musharraf won't go without a fight, though he has said previously he would quit rather than be impeached.

Haq Nawaz from Islamabad adds: The embattled President Pervez Musharraf's options to cope with the impeachment issue are becoming dim with each passing day, as his close circles, including his well-wishers, are pressing him to call it a day prior to the impeachment.

Knowledgeable confided to TheNation on Saturday that President General (Retd) Musharraf was under immense pressure following the announcement of the ruling partners to move Parliament for impeaching him and his consultations with his close associates were going on.

The National Assembly is also summoned to meet on Monday in the evening and the political analysts are focussing their eyes on the session, which could reflect the mood of the parliamentarians once they sit together.

"He (Musharraf) didn't show his cards as yet. He is listening to his friends but he is having very little time to come out with his plan," they said, adding that early next week was very significant for Musharraf.

Powerful circles want peaceful outcome of the current political crisis and there are strong indications that his parent department may also advise him the honourable exit, instead of entering into confrontation. Pakistan Army also doesn't want any political instability at the moment that could cause disturbance and backlash if the issue was not immediately resolved.

"Next is very important and he (Musharraf) is most likely to take decision whether to confront the government or step down," sources stated. The idea to dissolve the Parliament by using his powers is also becoming difficult, as it can lead the country towards another severe crisis. Majority of Musharraf's close associates has advised him to avoid using 58-2(b) and if he goes for it, his political friends may also detach them from him.

However, certain quarters in the former ruling PML-Q still push Musharraf for dissolving the incumbent Parliament but they are very few. "Charge sheet against Musharraf is having nothing to worry him," Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, former parliamentary minister, claimed while talking to TheNation.

"I have neither met nor having any telephonic conversation with Musharraf but I strongly suggest him to stand against the ruling parties. They have no solid reason to impeach him," he argued. The impeachment resolution required three reasons, as mentioned in the Constitution, to prove the president as having any medical reason, misconduct or the violation of the Constitution.

Dr Niazi viewed that Musharraf was neither medically unfit, nor he had been indulged into any corruption for the last 9 years. He also didn't violate the Constitution but the Parliament under 17th amendment and Supreme Court of Pakistan through its different verdicts validated his acts.

However, the influential circles, including the military and also the Americans, don't want prolonging of the situation but a quick way out of the crisis. "Instability is neither in the interest of the country nor in US interest," sources close to these circles mentioned.

Irfan Bukhari from Islamabad adds: Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) after its CEC meeting today (Sunday) is likely to advise, openly or tacitly, to President Pervez Musharraf to quit honourably due to the emergence of dissident groups within the party over the issue of presidential impeachment.

The announcement of the impeachment has not only caused panic among the presidential camp but has also stirred sleeping differences within PML-Q, and with every passing day, the party is facing rifts making the party weaker to defend embattled President.

The well-informed sources and some party top leaders conceded to TheNation that in the prevailing situation, it would be tough to foil impeachment motion thus leaving behind one option for the party and the President that Musharraf himself quit with dignity. The top Q-Leaguers argued that the decision to defend Musharraf from impeachment would be a wild goose chase that could also shatter party's unity, which they had successfully maintained after elections 2008.

PML-Q's Central Executive Committee meeting is being held today (Sunday) in Lahore. Reliable sources further told that PML-Q would also suggest President Musharraf to disclose the details of power-sharing deal, stricken last year with PPP.

A PML-Q Senator requesting not to be named said that President Musharraf should never step down silently but he must expose the terms and conditions of power-sharing agreement between him and PPP and the names of those players who brokered and guaranteed the deal. "I am sure if the situation arises for his resignation prior to his impeachment, Musharraf will never quit mutely and would reveal the details of Musharraf-PPP deal," he observed.

Through well-informed sources and direct chat with PML-Q lawmakers, it was learnt that with every passing moment, the party was experiencing difficulties in the form of appearance of splinter groups in the party on impeachment issue. The forward bloc in the Senate led by Nilofar Bakhtiar is supporting President's ouster, either through impeachment or through honourable resignation, thus strengthening the numerical position of the ruling alliance and weakening Q-League's potency.

Another faction in the party is like-minded group of the National Assembly that consists of Riaz Fatyana, Nasrulah Khan Bijrani, Sardar Israr Khan Tareen, Rana Asif Tauseef and others, and is not ready to defend the President mainly due to its differences with Chaudhry brothers. The members of like-minded group are also unhappy with the President as they think that during their confrontation with party's central command, Musharraf had backed Chaudhrys.

When asked, Rana Asif Tauseef denying the report said that he was not the part of any forward bloc or like-minded group. "I was and will always remain with the President Musharraf and would defend him," Tauseef observed.

Riaz Fatyana, on the other hand, exhibited his concerns over the attitude of Chaudhry brothers and noted, "Central command of the party is still neglecting us and has failed to mobilise party lawmakers for defending President Musharraf." He feared that wrong policies of party's central command could create splinter groups within party and the parliamentarians could exercise floor crossing on presidential impeachment issue.

The statement of PML-Q parliamentarian Bahadur Khan that 15 party lawmakers wouldn't support President Musharraf and the statement of Information Minister Sherry Rehman that 18 PML-Q legislators were with the ruling coalition for presidential impeachment, are really disturbing for the Q-League as well as President Musharraf. Bhadur Khan had also advised President Pervez Musharraf to take advantage of the safe passage given to him by PPP Co-Chairman.

Some insiders told that PML-Q parliamentarians hailing from Seraiki belt had good relations with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and it was on their desire that PML-Q had given vote of confidence to PM. "Sardar Bahadur Khan is among this group of lawmakers and is luring Seraiki MNAs to adopt an unanimous policy to support impeachment move," the sources asserted.

PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain said that President Musharraf had no intention to use 58-2(b). He alleged that the government had made offer of million of rupees to PML-Q parliamentarian.

Commenting on the issue, the party's Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that a psychological warfare had started between presidency and ruling coalition. He argued that there were no chances of the use of 58-2(b) as the establishment and the masses would never tolerate the move. "President Musharraf has two options, either to face the impeachment motion courageously or step down with honour," he observed.