The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Rawalpindi

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf paid a ceremonial farewell to his troops Tuesday, a day before he bows to worldwide pressure and quits as army chief to become a civilian leader.

Amid mounting anger over his three-week-old state of emergency, the embattled US ally received guards of honour as he launched a two-day valedictory tour of the army, navy and air force. He is to resign as chief of army staff on Wednesday. The next day he will take the oath for a second five-year term as president-this time without the uniform that he has described as being like his skin. A military band played martial tunes and the national anthem as Musharraf visited the joint staff headquarters in Rawalpindi. Soldiers marched past and saluted Musharraf, who wore ceremonial dress, medals and a green sash.

Musharraf later received colourful send-offs at the headquarters of the air force and navy in Islamabad and exchanged souvenirs with senior commanders. "It's part of army tradition that the outgoing chief visits the troops and thanks them for their services before relinquishing his command," military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Baseer Haider told AFP.

"The command changing ceremony will take place tomorrow." On Wednesday, Musharraf will be driven to the army's general headquarters to hand over his position as head of the nuclear-armed military to his heir apparent, former spy chief General Ashfaq Kiyani.

By resigning from the military, Musharraf, who grabbed power in a coup in 1999 and then signed up to the US-led fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, is meeting a key demand of the international community.