As the country anxiously awaited President Pervez Musharraf’s decision on his impending impeachment, the capital was today awash with reports that he has already handed over his resignation to the army along with a set of demands.
Insiders said Musharraf was persuaded to quit by the chief of an intelligence agency who met him last week. While handing over a handwritten resignation, Musharraf also jotted down conditions for his exit. These included fail-safe indemnity from any prosecution, extension of all privileges and perks he is entitled to as president in retirement and full security guaranteed by the army.
He reportedly insisted that he would stay within the country and reside in his Chak Shehzad farmhouse in suburban Islamabad, which he had purchased from the chief executive of a state-run bank. The resignation is believed to be with the army chief Gen. Kayani for dispatch to the political leadership when all things are settled.
Insiders said some top generals led by Gen. Kayani later met Musharraf who said he would like to see the chargesheet against him and respond to it before stepping down. At one stage Musharraf is cited to have told the generals: “You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you.”
He also warned them that the charges against him like the massacre in Lal Masjid could also apply to some of them. He was told that if the elected representatives of the people thought they were also to blame they were ready to face them. It was pointed out that Gen. Kayani had opposed the operation as intelligence chief at that time.
A visit to the site showed that the house is being renovated and upgraded, which may take a few more months. Musharraf would be advised to go for Umra to Saudi Arabia and then proceed to United States for a medical check up.
However, Presidential spokesman Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi repudiated reports that Musharraf has resigned. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi had told reporters in Multan on Saturday that the resignation was expected by Sunday, failing which the impeachment proceedings would be initiated within couple of days.
President of the pro-Musharraf PML-Q, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who has been of late meeting Musharraf almost on daily basis, told reporters here that the President is not resigning and would confront the chargesheet. He said the ruling coalition has yet not prepared the chargesheet and was only making claims to pressurise the President.
Another source close to the Presidency said
Musharraf had almost made up his mind to resign by Sunday evening. “But something happened on Saturday night and he changed his mind. His main current legal adviser Hafeez Pirzada has been goading him to fight it out,” he said.
Pirzada said the Supreme Court has already condoned Musharraf’s actions prior to assuming his present term in November last year. There is nothing since then that could be made part of a chargesheet for the impeachment. The Supreme Court could also be approached to halt the impeachment proceedings.
But former Chief Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui said the impeachment is not akin to proceedings in a criminal case in a court of law. The Parliament can adopt the resolution with the requisite two-third majority to remove the President. It is like approval of any no-confidence motion for which lawmakers do not have to prove their case beyond any reasonable doubt as in a court, he added.
