Pak coalition to meet on Musharraf's safe exit

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's ruling coalition will meet again on Tuesday to decide on key issues like granting a safe exit to Pervez Musharraf in the wake of his resignation and the restoration of deposed judges.

Well, deciding what to do with Musharraf is proving to be tough for the ruling coalition partners Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People's Party and Nawaz Sharif of the PML-N.

The coalition held discussions for over four hours on Monday after Musharraf announced his decision to step down but were unable to reach any conclusions

Top leaders of the coalition, including Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, held discussions for over four hours after Musharraf announced his decision to step down but were unable to reach any conclusions, sources said.

However, sources said the leaders of the two main parties in the alliance had differences over the modalities for the reinstatement of judges who were deposed by Musharraf during last year's emergency. When the PPP and PML-N announced their plans to impeach Musharraf on August seven, they had said that the deposed judges would be restored immediately after the President's removal.

The sources said Sharif in particular had pressed for the restoration of the deposed judges without any delay.

A brief statement issued by the PPP on Monday night said the leaders of the coalition would "meet again tomorrow to discuss the post-resignation issues and strengthen democracy".

Monday's meeting also discussed the election of Musharraf's successor. According to the constitution, a new President must be elected within 30 days of the post falling vacant.

Prolonged wrangling over Musharraf's position hurt financial markets in the nuclear-armed country of 165 million people, and raised concern in Washington and elsewhere that it was distracting from efforts to tackle militants, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan.

Musharraf's resignation lifted Pakistan shares on Monday to their biggest one-day rise in eight weeks, and helped the rupee recover slightly. But analysts said the rebound was temporary.

"It's a major victory for the new government but there is still a lot of uncertainty going forward," said Sayem Ali, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank.

Mushtaq Khan, a London-based analyst at Citi, said the government could now focus on the economy, taking concrete steps to restore investor confidence shattered by the political turmoil.

These include shrinking the trade deficit by banning imports of non-essential items such as luxury consumer goods, and cutting government spending by abolishing all fuel subsidies, Khan said.

QUESTIONS
Divisive questions still hang over Musharraf's fate. There was no announcement on Monday on whether he would get immunity from prosecution and be allowed to live freely in Pakistan.

Coalition officials had said Musharraf sought immunity from prosecution, but he said in his resignation address to the nation he was asking for nothing.

"I leave my future in the hands of the nation and people," he said.

One main coalition party, that of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif whom Musharraf ousted in 1999, has insisted he face trial for treason. Bhutto's party says parliament should decide.

With the coalition partners' preoccupation with Musharraf out of the way, the United States and other allies will be keen to see the government focus on security.

Hundreds of people have been killed in a wave of suicide attacks in Pakistan in recent months and the U.S. Pentagon said in June insurgent havens in Pakistan were the biggest threat to Afghan security.

President George W. Bush said he appreciated Musharraf's efforts to fight al-Qaida and other extremists, and was committed to a strong Pakistan that strengthened democracy and fought terrorism.

Old rival India reacted cautiously to Musharraf's resignation. Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters: "India will continue to have an amicable relation with Pakistan in the days to come".

Pakistan is committed to a peace process with India launched under Musharraf, but India fears a weak civilian government will not have his influence over the army and military spy agency, which India suspects has a hand in most attacks on its soil.

The chairman of the Senate, Mohammadmian Soomro, will be acting president until a new one is elected within 30 days, but it is not clear who that will be. Traditionally, Pakistan's president has been a figurehead, although under Musharraf the office was much more powerful.

Source : Times Of India