Musharraf plans farewell with troops before becoming civilian
President
PAKISTAN, Pakistan's military leader President Gen. Pervez Musharraf
planned to bid his troops farewell Tuesday, a day before standing down
as army chief to become a civilian head of state in a move aimed at
easing the country's political crisis.
Musharraf was scheduled to meet with senior commanders and attend
farewell ceremonies in Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital
Islamabad, where the army has its headquarters and other key facilities.
Aides to Musharraf announced he would retire Wednesday as chief of
Pakistan's army, whose generals have ruled the country for most of its
life since independence from British rule in 1947.
Musharraf spokesman Rashid Qureshi said the president would make
"farewell visits" before ending a military career that began in 1964.
Musharraf's successor, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, a former chief of the
country's powerful intelligence service, was expected to take charge
Wednesday.
On Thursday, Musharraf "will take oath of office as president of
Pakistan as a civilian," Qureshi said Monday.
The opposition has demanded that Musharraf relinquish his role as
military chief, and rescind a state of emergency he declared on Nov. 3.
Musharraf has faced growing opposition since March, when he tried
unsuccessfully to fire the Supreme Court's top judge.
The political crisis was aggravated when Musharraf declared his
emergency rule, citing an increase in militancy in the country's
northwest. The army general also accused the Supreme Court of
overstepping its authority and paralyzing the government, just as it was
about to rule on the validity of his victory in a recent presidential
election.
Musharraf now faces strong opposition from two of his key opponents -
Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto - both former prime ministers who have
returned from exile in time for crucial parliamentary elections slated
for Jan. 8.
Sharif, who was ousted by the 1999 coup that put Musharraf in power,
and Bhutto both registered Monday to run in the election, but like other
smaller opposition groups, they indicated their parties may boycott the
vote to undermine its legitimacy.
Sharif, who returned home Sunday from Saudi Arabia, appealed for
support from Pakistanis unhappy with Musharraf's alliance with the U.S.,
and the American-friendly stance of Bhutto, his one-time political
archrival.
Rawalpindi, Tuesday, AP
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