Musharraf to resign before impeachment

ISLAMABAD - The efforts to resolve the standoff between the political forces and President Musharraf on his exit and the modus operandi to oust him finally yielded results.

Under the arrangements mediated between the two sides, President Musharraf would step down ahead of initiation of impeachment process and in return the political dispensation would not create any trouble, whatsoever, for him whether he would stay here or go abroad, most probably for America.

The sources privy to the developments taking place on the front for past over a week said Musharraf was weighing his options.

After hectic consultations and threadbare discussions on it with his legal and political confederates, he has finally decided to call it a day but before leaving the summit he secured guarantees from the incumbent political dispensation through military and some foreign guarantors that he would be given complete immunity after his bowing out of the office.

The sources close to Presidency disclosed to TheNation that Musharraf was more under pressure to call it a day from the military establishment than the political dispensation, which was exerting pressure on him to quit otherwise they would come up with the impeachment proceedings against him.

The sources were of the view the harsh stand taken by PML-N against Musharraf that they would not give him a safe passage as mere rhetoric and an attempt on part of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif to derive some solace out of it for his ‘old wounds’. Otherwise the military establishment, which also wanted exit of Gen (r) Musharraf, would not let anyone to drum out their former chief as most of them would take his humiliation as their insult.

The sources in the PPP disclosed that Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari did not want confrontation at this stage with any of the state institution and that was the reason he was also in favour of giving Musharraf a safe passage.

The going about with passage of resolutions from all the four provincial assemblies demanding of President Musharraf to get fresh vote of confidence from his electoral college was actually a brainchild of Asif Zardari and the whole philosophy behind it was to exert maximum pressure on Musharraf.

In the meantime some foreign guarantors had also stepped in the process to break the impasse between the government and President Musharraf and they had backdoor contacts with all the stakeholders giving and taking guarantees from both sides to materialise the safe passage for the President.

The sources in the political dispensation disclosed that both sides had reached some broad consensus on giving immunity to President Musharraf and he would be free to live here or go abroad. At the same time all his assets would remain intact and he would not be questioned about any of his act in any court of law.

Meanwhile, the coalition government would likely put the impeachment process in action by Monday and after getting the requisition of joint sitting from the ruling coalition, the Speaker National Assembly would sent the chargesheet to President Musharraf and if the President would decide to contest it, the joint sitting of the Parliament would be summoned and the impeachment proceedings would be initiated after seven days of filing of the requisition.

But the sources said that as the things were settled, the matter would not go to that extent and President would quit before the initiation of the impeachment proceedings.

TAIL PIECE: The sources close to the Aiwan-e-Sadr disclosed to TheNation that the staff of President Musharraf had started packing their luggage after getting the air of his stepping down and that too within next few days.

Agencies add: Musharraf’s aides are in talks with the ruling coalition to secure a deal under which he could quit to avoid facing impeachment or criminal charges, officials said Friday.