Musharraf willing to shed uniform: Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Fearing that his attempt to get re-elected in military uniform by the present assemblies might be blocked by the judiciary, President Pervez Musharraf has offered to quit as Army chief if all the political parties agreed to support him for another term, a daily reported.

"Musharraf has offered to doff his uniform even before the presidential polls. But in the trade-off, he wants all political parties to agree to re-elect him as President for the next five years after the new assemblies come into being following the next general elections," 'The Dawn' quoted sources as saying.

According to the unnamed sources, Musharraf also 'wants the powers of the office of the President to remain untouched at least up to the end of his new term'.

Musharraf's emissaries, currently in London, are also discussing the deal with self-exiled former Premier Benazir Bhutto to get the support of her Pakistan People's Party, according to the unnamed sources.

"The package of offers include formation of a national government which would then appoint a chief election commissioner by consensus," they said.

However, Pakistan has officially denied that Musharraf was planning to doff his uniform before the presidential polls slated for sometime in the next month.

"The President has said time and again that whatever decisions he takes will be legal. The Constitution allows him to keep the uniform till December 31 this year."

"If elections will take place between September 15 and October 15, he has got some time to go as far as the Constitution allows him to be with his uniform and he will take a decision when the time comes. So, we are supporting his candidature. Of course, the final decision lies with the President," Pakistan's Minister of State for Information Tariq Azim said.