Bangladesh News

Last ditch efforts are on to secure a “safe passage” and indemnity for Pervez Musharraf with US and British diplomats pressing the government not to impeach the President as it will further harm crisis-racked Pakistan.

However, several preconditions put forth by Musharraf with army’s backing including his demand that he be allowed to stay in the country were dragging the behind the scene negotiations and delaying the announcement of his resignation, sources told the Pakistani newspaper Daily Times.

There was speculation that the 65-year-old former General will announce his decision to bow out during a speech on Wednesday night, but Musharraf refused to reveal his cards and instead harped on political reconciliation.

“There is an understanding between the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition and Musharraf on the President resigning before impeachment proceedings begin in earnest against him,” the Times said.

However, Musharraf is refusing to take “safe passage” to mean going into exile outside the country immediately after his resignation.

He is insisting on two conditions - that he will be entitled to stay in his house at Chak Shahzad on the outskirts of Islamabad and be provided full security and privileges as allowed under law to all ex-presidents.

He is also demanding that the “cast-iron guarantees of indemnity” will be provided from any action against him following his resignation, preferably through an act of parliament, the sources said.

Pakistan’s ruling coalition Thursday rejected Musharraf’s Independence day reconciliation appeal to his opponents who are set to impeach him saying that democratic forces have united to “defeat dictatorship”.

Democratic forces in Pakistan have come together to defeat dictatorship, Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani said addressing the nation on the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence day without referring directly to the embattled president’s apparent peace overtures in his address to the nation a few hours earlier.

British and US diplomats have, meanwhile, covertly come to Musharraf’s rescue seeking a “graceful exit” for him, British daily The Guardian reported.

IMPEACHMENT MOTION
Noting that it was clear that the ruling coalition now has the two-thirds majority needed to impeach Musharraf, it said western diplomats have sought to convince the coalition government that impeachment would further undermine the security and political situation in crisis-racked Pakistan, and that he should instead be offered a “graceful exit”.

“We are being told (by western envoys) that it’s not going to bring more stability to have a long trial.? And that it is in the interests of stability for him to exit,” the report quoted a senior coalition politician.

Sir Mark Lyall Grant, director of political affairs at the British Foreign Office, currently in Pakistan, is said to spearheading the message of caution.

Lyall Grant met Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, on Tuesday night at the British High Commission.

He held a separate meeting with Information Minister Sherry Rehman and also met Musharraf, the FCO confirmed.

Grant, a former British High Commissioner to Pakistan, was intimately involved in western mediated negotiations last year between Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, which presaged her return to Pakistan and the holding of elections.

On the US side, the Deputy US Ambassador Peter Bodde is understood to have met Zardari in the last couple of days.

American Ambassador Anne Patterson saw Nisar Ali Khan, a senior member of Nawaz Sharif’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the other main group in the coalition.’ Her message was: “Give Musharraf safe passage.”

The Saudis, perceived as close to Musharraf, have also reportedly jumped into action to ensure a safe exit for Musharraf ahead of the proposed impeachment motion next week.

According to the report, spokesmen for both the British and US mission denied that they were seeking to interfere.