'Musharraf to quit if given indemnity'

Islamabad, Jun 24: Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf is seeking to step down if given indemnity for all his questionable actions under the Constitution. ''President Musharraf is ready to resign if given indemnity but the PML-N is reluctant to give the de facto President a clean chit,'' local English daily The Nation quoted well-placed sources as saying.

President Musharraf has told his close aides that he would like to quit honourably and the only way out to that was indemnity. Otherwise, informed sources said, the President is set to face a potential impeachment motion by the coalition government that many say was still lacking numerical support required to crown the move with success.

According to the sources, President Musharraf has decided to resign from his office after June 13 mammoth lawyers' long march where PML-N chief and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had given his pledge to hold President Musharraf accountable at all costs.

''PML-N would leave no stone unturned to try President Musharraf under Article 6 which deals with treason,'' a PML-N source said.

On the other hand, the PPP, which had been inclined to give a safe exit from the outset believed that President Musharraf might have decided to quit after Asif Ali Zardari unveiled plans to have future President from PPP and that too from the Sindh province.

However, sources close to President Musharraf do not acknowledge either of the propositions and insists that the President would not resign until he is given a total indemnity.

''Why should he resign when he has got all advantages through powers to dismiss the government and dissolve the assembly or to undo the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO),'' a source asked.

UNI