Pressure grows on Pakistan's Musharraf

Under-pressure Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf should not be granted legal immunity, a senior member of the country’s ruling coalition said today.

The comments will increase the pressure on a leader already facing possible impeachment.

Mr Musharraf has resisted calls to quit, and his rivals say they could introduce an impeachment motion in Parliament as early as next week.

Speculation persists that the president may be holding out for guarantees he will not face criminal charges if he resigns. Today during a speech to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day the embattled former army chief called for reconciliation.

But in his own Independence Day address, ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ruled out such possibilities alleging Mr Musharraf had violated the constitution and compromised the nation’s sovereignty, a reference to the president’s alliance with the West in the war on terror.

“Should safe passage be given to someone who has done this to Pakistan?” Mr Sharif asked a crowd in the eastern city of Lahore. “He wants safe passage by breaking Pakistan’s law. He wants safe passage by breaking Pakistan’s constitution. He is asking for safe passage by selling out Pakistan’s sovereignty.”

Mr Musharraf seized power in a 1999 coup that threw over Mr Sharif.

He dominated Pakistan for years until his rivals defeated his allies in February parliamentary elections.