Musharraf draws scenario of a Pak without him

Islamabad, Oct 23: Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf today appeared quite bold while drawing the country's future scenario without him.

''There exists a chain of command, which will enable Chairman of the Senate to assume presidency if I am no more,'' he said in an interview with Pakistan's private Geo TV tonight.

Ruling out any military intervention in case he was not there, he said when the entire civilian set up is functioning with the Prime Minister discharging his official duties and the federal and provincial legislatures doing their businesses, there remained no room for any military action.

''Federal and provincial legislatures, which are electoral college of the President, will elect my successor if I am no more at any point of time in future,'' he stressed.

The President also said that he would resign as and when he felt the nation did not require him any longer.

''I will exit the moment I feel the nation does not require me any longer,'' said Gen Musharraf, who has been in the eye of storm since joining the U.S.-led international coalition against terrorism.

His opponents accuse him of mortgaging national interests in the war against terror to appease the U.S.

Musharraf, who assumed presidency after the resignation of predecessor Rafiq Tarar in August 2001, became ''intolerable'' to the leading political parties after he proclaimed himself as an elected President for next five years following a ''controversial'' presidential referendum in April 2002.

Even the general election in October 2002, which restored what Musharraf's critics call a ''guided democracy'' failed to make a big difference, as the naive ruling coalition of Pakistan Muslim League in the hung parliament could not effectively take on the rowdy opposition, which wants nothing less than relinquishing army chief's office by Musharraf and restoration of 1973 constitution, that existed before October 12, 1999 military coup.

UNI