ID :
16218
Mon, 08/18/2008 - 10:43
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/16218
The shortlink copeid
Pak parties all set bring chargesheet against defiant Mush
Islamabad, Aug 17 (PTI) Tightening the screw on Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's ruling coalition Sunday announced that a chargesheet will be moved against him on Tuesday but the embattled President appeared unwilling to resign withoutsewing up a "blanket immunity" for all his actions in office.
A committee of coalition partners met to give final touches to the charges against the 65-year-old embattled leader who seemed to be in no hurry to respond to a Sunday deadline set by the ruling parties to resign or faceimpeachment.
Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said the chargesheet will be presented on Tuesday, a day after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters in Multan that Musharrafwould have to resign by Sunday.
"Musharraf is "short of time and if he does not quit by Monday, the impeachment proceedings will start," Qureshihad said.
But Musharraf's top legal aides have said that he had so far ignored all advice from his friends and legal advisorsto resign.
"During the meeting with me, the President spoke his mind that he is not considering (the option) to resign," oneof the legal aides advising Musharraf told the Dawn.
There were also indications that efforts to persuade the President to resign have "slackened due to his insistence to do so only after going through the chargesheet againsthim", the daily said.
However, the Pakistan government was still reportedly looking into Musharraf's demand to provide immunity for all his actions if he resigns if he steps down, sources privy to the development were Sunday quoted as saying by the DailyTimes.
But, a key ally of the ruling coalition, the P.M.L.-N.
led by former premier Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted in a 1999 military coup by Musharraf, has already ruled out legal coverfor the President.
"Legal guarantees are out of question," party spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq said Saturday, adding impeachment motion would be tabled in parliament within acouple of days.
Apart from the charges of violation of Constitution and gross misconduct, Musharraf is also accused in the chargesheet of allowing the U.S. to breach Pakistan's sovereignty by bombing terror suspects on its soil, senior government sourceswere quoted as saying by British daily Sunday Times .
The chargesheet also accuses Musharraf of handing over Pakistani citizens accused of terrorism to the U.S. inreturn for payments to his security services, it said.
The report quoting sources said U.S. President George W. Bush and other senior administration figures refused to take Musharraf's telephone calls last week to reinforce themessage that he no longer enjoys their support.
Bush apparently gave his consent to Musharrf's ousterduring Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to the U.S.
last month. "Make it humane," Bush is said to have told him,according to the report.
Pakistan People's Party party chairman Asif Ali Zardari will meet Sharif and other coalition partners by Tuesday to approve the chargesheet and to give final touches to theimpeachment plan, P.P.P. sources said.
Musharraf has been conferring with several constitutional experts explore legal possibilities like invoking his controversial powers to dismiss the National Assembly orapproach the Supreme Court to challenge the chargesheet.
"The President has been told that being constitutional bodies, both the Supreme Court as well as the parliament cannot interfere in each other's affairs and the apex court cannot impede the latter from impeaching him," said a lawyerwho met the President on Friday.
A committee of coalition partners met to give final touches to the charges against the 65-year-old embattled leader who seemed to be in no hurry to respond to a Sunday deadline set by the ruling parties to resign or faceimpeachment.
Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said the chargesheet will be presented on Tuesday, a day after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters in Multan that Musharrafwould have to resign by Sunday.
"Musharraf is "short of time and if he does not quit by Monday, the impeachment proceedings will start," Qureshihad said.
But Musharraf's top legal aides have said that he had so far ignored all advice from his friends and legal advisorsto resign.
"During the meeting with me, the President spoke his mind that he is not considering (the option) to resign," oneof the legal aides advising Musharraf told the Dawn.
There were also indications that efforts to persuade the President to resign have "slackened due to his insistence to do so only after going through the chargesheet againsthim", the daily said.
However, the Pakistan government was still reportedly looking into Musharraf's demand to provide immunity for all his actions if he resigns if he steps down, sources privy to the development were Sunday quoted as saying by the DailyTimes.
But, a key ally of the ruling coalition, the P.M.L.-N.
led by former premier Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted in a 1999 military coup by Musharraf, has already ruled out legal coverfor the President.
"Legal guarantees are out of question," party spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq said Saturday, adding impeachment motion would be tabled in parliament within acouple of days.
Apart from the charges of violation of Constitution and gross misconduct, Musharraf is also accused in the chargesheet of allowing the U.S. to breach Pakistan's sovereignty by bombing terror suspects on its soil, senior government sourceswere quoted as saying by British daily Sunday Times .
The chargesheet also accuses Musharraf of handing over Pakistani citizens accused of terrorism to the U.S. inreturn for payments to his security services, it said.
The report quoting sources said U.S. President George W. Bush and other senior administration figures refused to take Musharraf's telephone calls last week to reinforce themessage that he no longer enjoys their support.
Bush apparently gave his consent to Musharrf's ousterduring Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to the U.S.
last month. "Make it humane," Bush is said to have told him,according to the report.
Pakistan People's Party party chairman Asif Ali Zardari will meet Sharif and other coalition partners by Tuesday to approve the chargesheet and to give final touches to theimpeachment plan, P.P.P. sources said.
Musharraf has been conferring with several constitutional experts explore legal possibilities like invoking his controversial powers to dismiss the National Assembly orapproach the Supreme Court to challenge the chargesheet.
"The President has been told that being constitutional bodies, both the Supreme Court as well as the parliament cannot interfere in each other's affairs and the apex court cannot impede the latter from impeaching him," said a lawyerwho met the President on Friday.
