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| India-Pakistan |
| Perv links quitting to failsafe indemnity |
| 2008-08-14 |
| Last ditch efforts behind the scenes to secure an acceptable guarantee of "safe passage" and indemnity for President Pervez Musharraf's are continuing and may delay the announcement of his resignation speech originally planned for August 14 (today), informed sources have told Daily Times. It is learnt that there is an understanding between the coalition partners and President Musharraf that he will resign before impeachment proceedings can begin in earnest against him. But President Musharraf is refusing to take "safe passage" to mean an immediate exile out of the country following his resignation. He is insisting on two conditions: first, that he will be entitled to stay in his house in Chak Shahzad on the outskirts of Islamabad and be provided full security and privileges as allowed under law to all presidents; second, that cast-iron guarantees of indemnity from any action against him following his resignation will be provided, preferably through an act of parliament. It is also learnt that the army high command is standing by President Musharraf in these two demands. The last thing the army wants is to see either the impeachment of a former army chief or action against him by the civilians on any count. It may be noted that the current high commanders of the army were his partners in government when he was ruling the roost and took policy initiatives that later rebounded on his government and which could form the basis of any charge sheet against him. US, UK, Saudis: Sources told Daily Times that the coalition partners were divided on the issue of what sort of indemnity and safe passage to provide him, with Mr Nawaz Sharif taking a harder line than Asif Zardari. President Musharraf's international friends, the Saudis, Americans and British, are also running around to help both sides devise an acceptable formula for his "safe passage". |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 He gets to keep the sprockets too, right? |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-08-14 17:18 |
| #1 Good luck with that Chucky. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-08-14 17:18 |