Legal guarantees for Musharraf out of the question, says Sharif's spokesman

Lahore, Aug.16 : A spokesman for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Sadiqul Farooq, has said that providing President Pervez Musharraf with legal guarantees were out of the question.

Farooq said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is of the view that Musharraf should be tried for treason, which carries a maximum punishment of death.

The PPP-led coalition government is Islamabad has said that it would wait for the next 48 hours for President Pervez Musharrf to resign, else it would ask Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to intervene and broker a deal with the President.

Last evening, a senior PPP leader said that the Government will wait till Monday morning for Musharraf to step-down, otherwise the ongoing political crisis would deepen even further. Senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar has reportedly said that his party was not averse to discussing a safe exit for the President.

He further said that if the party was asked to provide one, it will decide after consultations within the party.

Dar's statement is seen in contrast with his senior party colleague and former premier Nawaz Sharif who has repeatedly said that he wanted Musharraf to step down or face Impeachment, while ruling any safe passage for the old foe. Musharraf had toppled Nawaz's government in a military coup in October 1999.

Dar also said that the constitutional process should continue and reach its logical conclusion, and that the coalition was united on the decision to impeach the President.

A close aide of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that one of the options available with him (Musharraf) was to strip down to a level of "figurehead President" without any powers, in order to avoid the Impeachment process expected to be initiated by the coalition government on Monday.

ANI