President Pervez Musharraf’s days as president of Pakistan are coming to an end, according to a growing consensus in the country. A series of political tirades, aggressive news reports and changes to sensitive army positions have fuelled speculation that Musharraf is considering retirement, an international newspaper reported.
The talk has hit the streets, where rumours are rife of frenetic bag packing and a newly arrived jet to whisk the president into foreign retirement. Stock prices dived last week on the back of the rumours.
But his aides insist their boss is going nowhere. "This is absolute lies," said a spokesman, Rashid Qureshi. "He has not packed even his golf bag." Qureshi, a long-time loyalist, said Musharraf was being smeared by a media conglomerate which had its television stations shut temporarily by the president last year.
He rejected fresh demands by the Ex-Servicemen’s Association, which includes several retired generals, that Musharraf should stand trial for treason. "They represent a minuscule percentage of officers," he said. "It’s all a rumour factory now."
What is certain is that Musharraf faces a widening array of enemies, including several powerful figures.
Asif Zardari, the leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, recently floated reforms that would strip Musharraf of his powers. The increasingly popular Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by Musharraf in 1999, issued an emotional outburst calling him a "traitor".
Adding to Musharraf’s problems are Pakistan’s lawyers, who plan to march on parliament next week. If that fails to dislodge the president, they say, the group will converge on his house. The strife is distracting the government from pressing issues, such as a flagging economy. Musharraf’s military comrades may also be losing patience.
Last week the army chief, Ashfaq Kayani, removed a Musharraf loyalist from command of the Triple-One Brigade in Rawalpindi, commonly known as the "coup brigade" for its central role in Pakistan’s military takeovers.
Meanwhile, AQ Khan, the scientist who confessed to selling nuclear secrets in 2004, has been allowed to return to public life.
In a stream of telephone interviews from house arrest, Khan claimed Musharraf had turned the country into a "banana republic". One government minister told the newspaper that such comments could be made only with military approval.
"The pressure is mounting on him. The army is really putting its cards on the table," said, a television commentator, who estimated Musharraf would last "two months – maximum". But previous predictions of Musharraf’s demise have proved false, and he can still count on one significant friend.
As Musharraf swatted criticism last week, the US president, George Bush, phoned to offer his unbending support. "He indicated he looks forward to President Musharraf’s continuing role in further strengthening US-Pakistani relations," a White House spokeswoman said.
Bush wants to avoid a Musharraf meltdown in an election year. But for critics in Pakistan, the call was symptomatic of all that is wrong with Musharraf.
"George Bush is sticking to this line that he must not go without dignity," said Hamid Gul, a retired military chief. "The question is, for how long?"
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