Power struggle culminates after paralysing uncertainty

Islamabad: The move to impeach the Pakistani president is the culmination of a power struggle between the former military chief and the civilian government.

It is a battle that has paralysed Pakistan since Musharraf's political party lost elections in February.

The bid to oust him has raised the prospect of a drawn-out and debilitating wrangle that could plunge Pakistan, and its neighbours, into chaos.

The move could dangerously weaken Pakistan, which is already plagued by pro-Taliban militancy and whose people face rapidly escalating fuel and food prices.

The prospects of the nuclear-armed country, which is also a hiding place for Al Qaida leaders, being rocked by further instability is a mounting concern both for the West and for Pakistan's neighbours.

Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, stepped down as army chief in November after being re-elected to serve a five-year term as president.

Last tools

He has said in the past he would resign rather than be dragged through an impeachment process by a parliament filled with enemies. There is a possibility, however, that he will do as his allies suggest and use the last remaining tools at his disposal - the remnants of a defeated political party and a military intelligence agency - to regain some of his power.

The US, which has counted on Musharraf as a linchpin in the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban, has yet to offer public support for him. It has only said that the impeachment was an "internal" matter.

Leaders of the Pakistan People's Party, which is pushing for impeachment, have tried to persuade the US that Musharraf has undermined the civilian government and that the country will continue to meander dangerously until he leaves power.

More worryingly for the president, a recent New York Times report quoted US officials accusing Pakistani military intelligence of being responsible for a bloody terrorist attack on India's embassy in Kabul.