President Musharraf to face Impeachment.

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Musharraf faces impeachment bid

President Musharraf has said he would rather resign than be impeached
Pakistan's ruling coalition parties say they will begin impeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf.

Party leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif made the announcement after three days of talks. They would need a two-thirds majority to impeach.

Mr Musharraf took power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

He gave up control of the army last year and his allies were defeated in February's elections but he retains the power to dissolve parliament.

Mr Musharraf has previously said he would resign rather than face impeachment proceedings but he has made no comment yet on the latest move.

The BBC's Mark Dummett in Islamabad says an impeachment would take Pakistani politics into new territory, since no Pakistani leader has faced it before.

Sacked judges

Mr Zardari, of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and the PML-N's Narwaz Sharif announced the impeachment move at a press conference in Islamabad.

STEPS TO IMPEACHMENT

Impeachment proposers need 50% majority in Senate or National Assembly
President given notice of impeachment, and has three days to respond
Joint session of Senate and Assembly must be held between 7 and 14 days later to investigate charges
If resolution presented, joint session must approve with two-thirds majority

Mr Zardari said: "We have good news for democracy. The coalition believes it is imperative to move for impeachment against General Musharraf."

Mr Zardari, the widower of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, derided Mr Musharraf's economic policies, adding: "He has worked to undermine the transition to democracy."

He also warned Mr Musharraf not to dissolve parliament, saying: "If he does it, it will be his last verdict against the people."

Mr Sharif said: "Pakistan cannot afford to see democracy derailed, this is not the same Pakistan as was the case in the 1980s and 1990s. People will not accept it now."


Mr Zardari (r) vowed to try to restore judges sacked under emergency rule
The leaders say they will also move to have Mr Musharraf face votes of confidence in the national and four provincial assemblies.

Our correspondent says these will not be enough to dislodge President Musharraf but might weaken him ahead of any impeachment showdown.

Impeachment would need a two-thirds majority in the upper and lower houses of the national assembly but, our correspondent says, getting those numbers might be difficult.

The two leaders also promised to restore judges sacked under Mr Musharraf's emergency rule once impeachment was successful.

How to proceed on that issue had caused deep divisions between the two coalition parties since the elections.

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ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf will have to face impeachment under Article 47 of the Constitution if he fails to take vote of confidence from the assemblies immediately.

This was announced by Co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party, Asif Ali Zardari at a joint press conference with Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief, Nawaz Sharif, here at Zardari House on Thursday.

The announcement came after two-days of marathon meetings held by the ruling coalition.

President Musharraf had failed to seek a vote of confidence from the new parliament or to address the national assembly, and that he had "worked to undermine the transition to democracy,” Asif Zardari said.

“The President weakened the Federation and eroded the trust of the nation.”

He said the coalition has resolved that the President sacked the top judiciary through “extra-constitutional means.”

The policies pursued by the President Musharraf led government are responsible for the “economic impasse, worst power shortage in the history,” he said.

“It has now become imperative to impeach President Pervez Musharraf under Article 47,” Asif Zardari said.

The President had said he would step down if his party faces defeat in the general elections, he said. The people gave their mandate to the democratic forces, he added.

Asif Zardari said the judges will be restored to November 3 position following impeachment of the President.

PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif endorsed the announcements made by the PPP Co-chairman, saying his party agrees with the statement read out by Asif Zardari.

Awami National Party’s Senator, Haji Adeel also gave his consent to the joint declaration.

“The nation will not accept 58-2(b),” Nawaz Sharif said. The democracy is not so weak that it would allow usage of 58-2(b), he added.