Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Pakistan assembly on Monday evening will set in motion the beginning of the end of President Pervez Musharraf with the first impeachment motion in the history of the country.
The ruling PPP-PMLN coalition says it is preparing a strong chargesheet against the President charging him of violation of constitution and misconduct along with the latest charge of misappropriation of funds.
“Musharraf has committed many crimes. If we have to give him a safe passage then we should call a general indemnity,” PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said.
But the charges alone won’t do. The coalition needs the numbers in the assembly to show Musharraf the door. PPP claims it has the support of 300 MPs out of 442 but reports suggest they are still shaky about the strength especially after PPP's disgruntled leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim said the situation doesn't warrant impeaching Musharraf.
Even MQM, PPP's partner in Sindh, has decided to support Musharraf. But a helping hand came from the forward block of PML-Q. Seven to eight MPs of the pro-Musharraf PML-Q are reported to have asked him to quit.
So what is the way out for Musharraf? He has declined to step down at any stage but the word from Islamabad is that the General may resign rather than testifying in the witness box. He may call it quits on or after Pakistan's independence day on August 14.
Musharraf is losing time and options. The biggest jolt for him came from the Pakistan Army, which has chosen to distance itself from anything to do with their former chief.
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