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ISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan's military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, will unveil his final version of widely criticised constitutional amendments to the nation in the near future, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, proposed several changes last month that critics said were an attempt to cement his grip on power ahead of October elections.

The statement, issued after a lengthy meeting of the cabinet with the National Security Council, a military-civilian body overseeing government affairs, said Musharraf would make an address on state-run television after finalising the changes.

It said the cabinet would meet again to discuss the amendments, which Musharraf says he can order by presidential decree, on Wednesday.

Mainstream political parties and lawyers have fiercely opposed the proposed changes that empower Musharraf to dismiss elected prime ministers, fire the cabinet and dissolve parliament.

They follow a controversial referendum in April that extended his rule as president for five years.

Musharraf also issued decrees recently that effectively blocked leaders of two major political parties and former prime ministers -- Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif -- from returning to power. 

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