Baloch House asks Musharraf to seek vote

Islamabad: Pakistan's fourth and last provincial assembly on Thursday censured President Pervez Musharraf like the legislatures in three other provinces, while his spokesman denied reports the president was about to resign.

The 65-member assembly of southern Balochistan province unanimously passed a resolution, asking Musharraf to get a confidence vote from the assemblies elected in February or resign immediately.

Only one provincial lawmaker from the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, which has vowed to defend the president, was absent from the proceedings of the Balochistan assembly.

The resolution endorsed the federal coalition plan to oust the president in line with the verdict given against him and his political allies by the people in general elections.

Meanwhile, a coalition committee yesterday completed its task of preparing a draft of a charge-sheet and an impeachment resolution likely to be moved in parliament next week.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman and other members of the committee from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) spent several days to draw up a comprehensive dossier on charges including violation of constitution and misconduct.

Component parties

Rehman told media the committee had completed the document and handed it over to Law Minister Farooq H. Naek. She said the draft would now be presented to the leadership of the four component parties of the ruling coalition made up of PPP, PML-N, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema Islam.

After consideration by the leadership we will take the matter the parliament," the minister said.

PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal said better sense should prevail after the passage of the resolutions against Musharraf by the assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, North West Frontier Province and Balochistan.

"All federating units have overwhelmingly shown their distrust in Musharraf and he should resign at once instead waiting for impeachment," Iqbal told reporters.

However, in a statement the presidential spokesman said the spate of reports about the president's resignation was "totally baseless and malicious".

"Such unsubstantiated reports are creating uncertainty and having a negative impact on the country's economy," the spokesman observed.

According to procedure laid down in the constitution, half of the total membership of either the 342-member National Assembly or the 100-member Senate can give notice of impeachment.

Joint session

After receiving such notice along with the charge sheet, the Speaker of the National Assembly shall transmit the same to the president within three days. The Speaker will summon a joint session of the two houses of parliament not earlier than seven days and not later than 14 days from the receipt of the notice.

The president will have the right to appear before the joint sitting to defend himself. If two-thirds or 295 lawmakers out of 442 pass a resolution against the president he will cease to hold the office forthwith.

The coalition is confident of winning the numbers game and speculation about president's resignation ahead of impeachment motion in parliament continues despite the denials.

The four-party government has pledged to restore after Musharraf's ouster all the judges deposed by him last year under emergency rule.

As the crisis approaches a decisive moment, a debate is on whether or not Musharraf should be given a safe passage and allowed a secure and honourable stay in the country after his exit.

Meanwhile, a report claimed an ally of the embattled president said talks are under way that could lead to the resignation of Musharraf or reduce his role to that of a figurehead.

However, a spokesman for Musharraf denied he was about to step down.

Political opponents of the president have suggested he could resign within days before an impeachment process that could begin as early as next week.

But Musharraf's office said an impeachment could drag on for months because the procedure is not laid out in the constitution and there is no precedent in Pakistan's turbulent 61-year-long history.

Dominated

Former army chief Musharraf dominated Pakistan for years after seizing power in a 1999 military coup, gaining favour from the United States after supporting it in the war on terror. But his rivals won the February parliamentary elections and formed a coalition that has already largely sidelined him and is now seeking to push him out of office.

Both allies and rivals of Musharraf confirm that there are discussions in progress that could lead to the president's resignation.

"There are a lot of background talks going on, whereby a way is trying to be found so that there is no impeachment," Senator Tariq Azim, a top official in the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, said yesterday.

Weighing the options

He said resignation along with legal protection such as immunity was one option and another was stripping the presidency down to a figurehead role. However, coalition officials rejected the idea of reducing his powers, insisting he must go.

Asked if Musharraf had decided to quit, Azim said he was still weighing his options. "There are people who are advising him to avoid confrontation, but I don't think he has made up his mind."

Azim said all sides agreed an impeachment battle would strain the country at a time when it already faces critical challenges, such as a faltering economy and an emboldened Islamist militant movement.

"It is at the moment that Pakistan cannot afford confrontation," Azim said. "And it's obvious that the present government and President Musharraf cannot get along.

So it is in the best interest of Pakistan that some way is found whereby this mode of confrontation can be changed or can be more conciliatory." However, Musharraf's spokesman Rashid Qureshi denied he was about to resign or was seeking legal immunity in order to do so.

"These unsubstantiated spate of reports are totally baseless and malicious,"

The pro-Musharraf party's chief, Shujaat Hussain, said Musharraf had eminent lawyers who could defend him in Parliament. He also left open the possibility that the president could petition the Supreme Court over the impeachment.

- With inputs from agencies