The New Nation - Internet Edition

The latest developments in the political arena of Pakistan have drawn attention of all not only because there were serious fears about whether the country was once again plunging into political instability but also because the developments could have important implications with Islamabad being Washington’s number one ally in the fight against terror.

Pakistan's ruling coalition is reportedly expected to move an impeachment motion against President Pervez Musharraf in parliament on August 11. Pakistan People's Party and the PML(N) have finalised a draft declaration on the impeachment of the President, an unnamed PPP member of the cabinet, who participated in discussions between the parties, was quoted as saying by Dawn News channel on Thursday.

“It has become imperative to move for impeachment against General Musharraf,” said Asif Ali Zardari, head of the Pakistan People’s Party, sitting beside Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, at a noisy news conference, International Herald Tribune reported.

The leaders of the two main parties in the coalition - who have barely been on speaking terms in recent weeks - announced their impeachment strategy at a news conference in Islamabad.

In a joint statement, they said that Musharraf would be required to face a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, with the implication that if he did not succeed in that vote then impeachment would immediately proceed. In an indication of the gravity of his situation on Thursday, Musharraf canceled a trip to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing, choosing instead to remain inside the country.

The Press Trust of India reported: A Pakistan cabinet member said an impeachment motion would be moved against President Pervez Musharraf in parliament on August 11. Special sessions of the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies would be convened the same day. The deposed judges would be reinstated through an executive order issued by the government, the cabinet member reportedly said. The cabinet member also told journalists that the powerful army was behind the civilian government and not the President.

By asking Musharraf to face a vote of confidence, the coalition was essentially giving him an opportunity to step down gracefully before having to confront impeachment proceedings.

As president, Musharraf - who seized power in a bloodless coup in October 1999 - still has the constitutional power to fight the impeachment by dismissing Parliament. But to do so he needs the agreement of the Army, said Tariq Azim Khan, a former minister of information in Musharraf’s government.

Meanwhile, as the impeachment proceedings have appeared increasingly likely, Musharraf has mobilised his political forces to consider his choices, spending three hours Thursday with his constitutional lawyer, Sharifuddin Pirzada.

After the news of the impeachment plans, a former member of Parliament, Ishaq Khan Khakwani, who resigned from the Musharraf cabinet last year, suggested that the coalition government could not find the answers to Pakistan’s problems in impeachment. Zardari was unleashing a process that could cause more turmoil, Khakwani said.

“An elected government was meant to bring stability, unfortunately, it is destabilising Pakistan,” Khakwani said. “No matter whether impeachment succeeds or not, Zardari has wriggled out of the deal brokered by Benazir Bhutto.” According to politicians who have seen Musharraf recently, the president has declared he would not go easily.

Musharraf argues that he was elected to his current five-year term in a democratic process last October, according to the politicians.

Whatever option Pervez Musharraf takes, instability looms large in Pakistan. If the politicians do not succeed to manage things, they will invite yet another failure to keep the country safe on the democratic track. A failure which will be good neither for themselves, nor the other contenders of power or the country itself.