Musharraf to resign as Army Chief: Benazir

London, Aug 29: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that President Pervez Musharraf has agreed to resign from his position as Army Chief in a power-sharing deal.

The deal is not yet complete, but the "uniform issue is resolved," Bhutto told a UK-based newspaper.

"The uniform issue is key and there has been a lot of movement on it in the recent round of talks," she added.

Bhutto said that Musharraf's side tabled a "new issue" in talks in London, and sought her backing for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to be re-elected.

She said that the Musharraf regime would have to make "an upfront gesture of reciprocity, a clear indication of political support for the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and added that her party wanted to see a sign that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was no longer calling the shots."

Among her other conditions for a deal were immunity from prosecution, the lifting of a ban on Prime Ministers serving a third term, and the curbing of presidential powers to sack the government, The News reported.

Bhutto"s comments come a day after a Pakistan cabinet minister and a ruling party MP resigned to protest Musharraf's plan to remain as Army Chief, and get re-elected as in uniform by current assemblies between mid-September and mid-October.

ANI
>