'Mush will be forced to step down as Prez'

London, Sept 4: Former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif has said that President General Pervez Musharraf will forced to step down from within six weeks of his (Sharif's) return to Pakistan.

In an interview to The Times, Sharif said: “His tenure ends on October 15 and he has no constitutional right to remain."

Sharif also praised the British Government for its hospitality, saying London has been a "good host".

“The Foreign Office has been very supportive of democracy and of free and fair elections," Sharif said, adding that he had had no contact with the Bush Administration.

“President Clinton was a good friend of mine. Bush is a good friend of Mush," Sharif said, obviously pleased with the derisive pun.

Sharif dismissed speculation that Musharraf may try to deport him to Saudi Arabia on his arrival in Islamabad, as an outright violation of the decision by the Supreme Court, but admitetd that he could be arrested on his arrival on September 10.

He said that he plans to travel by road to Lahore, his home city, a prospect that he said “tugs at the wires of my heart". He hopes to forestall any intervention by General Musharraf by a show of huge support – “big, massive rallies".

Commenting on the twists and turns of Benazir Bhutto's politics, he said: “We embarked together on this new journey to restore the rule of constitutional democracy. But somehow she chose a different path and started talking to a military dictator."

“I am not looking for any office. My primary objective is to put the country back on the rails, and then, if they decide I am worth anything" He left the sentence unfinished, but that is a universally intelligible code from a politician looking for office.

He said that he was offering “a message of reconciliation", and was careful not to criticise the Army, on whom any successful Pakistani leader depends for support.

Campaigning, he said, must begin on September 15 and end by October 15.

ANI >