Party calls for Musharraf impeachment

Islamabad: A junior party in Pakistan's government called on Sunday for its main coalition partner to back the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf, a day after the former army strongman rebuffed calls from both parties to resign.

Ahsan Iqbal, a spokesman for ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party, called Musharraf "a virus in the democratic computer" and said Asif Ali Zardari's party should not hesitate to "join us for Musharraf's impeachment."

A spokesman for Zardari's party said it would "consider" pushing for impeachment proceedings in light of Musharraf's defiance.

On Saturday, Musharraf deflected rising calls for his resignation and denied he planned to go into exile.

Zardari's party over the weekend branded Musharraf a "de facto president" and "a one-man demolition squad who demolished the Constitution, the judiciary and the Parliament."

But on Sunday, Zardari party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said, "Right now I can't say whether the party is going to go ahead with impeachment and if so when."

He added, however, the party would have to "consider" pushing for impeachment following Musharraf's public statements.

Sharif's party has long pressed not only for Musharraf's impeachment but also demanded he be tried for treason - which carries the death penalty.

However, Zardari's party is unlikely to support such a tough course of action, which would upset Pakistan's allies in the West, including US President George W. Bush, who has publicly backed Musharraf.