ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, facing impeachment on charges drawn up by the country’s governing coalition, has announced that he is resigning.

President Pervez Musharraf

He appeared on national TV to say that while he was confident the charges would not stand, this was not the time for more confrontation. He is accused of violation of the constitution and gross misconduct.

Musharraf has been a key ally of the US in its “war on terror” since he took power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

Reaction in Pakistan is overwhelmingly one of relief that a bruising and lengthy impeachment battle has been avoided, the BBC's Mark Dummett reported in a story he filed from Islamabad.

The BBC reported the main issue now is whether the ruling coalition, which had pushed for Musharraf's exit since winning the February election, can stay united and deliver on its promises.

The BBC said that Pakistan will have to agree on a new president, then persuade allies like the US and UK, and its neighbors like India and Afghanistan, that it will be committed to defeating militancy and terrorism.

The BBC said international reaction to Musharraf's resignation was mixed, with the US hailing him as strong ally against terrorism, but Afghanistan welcoming his departure as a boost to democracy.

No Bravado

Looking calm, the BBC reported Musharraf said he had decided to resign after consulting his allies and advisers.

In his speech, he said he had believed it was his destiny to save Pakistan, helped by God, and that he had prevented it from being declared a terrorist state. The BBC said that in a clear reference to his political opponents, Musharraf accused unnamed elements of putting themselves above the country and seeking to betray it.

“Not a single charge can be proved against me,” the BBC reported he said, while admitting he had made mistakes. An impeachment process would have plunged the country into more uncertainty, he added, saying it was no time for what he called “individual bravado.”

The outgoing president listed social, economic and infrastructural improvements made during his rule. “I leave myself in the hands of the people,” the BBC reported he concluded.

After making his speech, Musharraf inspected an honor guard outside his white palace in Islamabad, stepped into a black limousine and left the presidency.

According to the BBC, cheering crowds poured into the streets of Pakistan's big cities to celebrate Musharraf's departure. In Karachi, lawyers danced happily.

A Friend to the US

The BBC said that once Musharraf's resignation letter is received and accepted by the speaker of Pakistan's lower house of parliament, the speaker of the upper house will take over as acting president.

He is Muhammad Mian Sumroo, a member of the pro-Musharraf faction of the Pakistan Muslim League.

The new president must be elected by both houses of Pakistan's parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

Reacting to news of the resignation, the BBC reported that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised him as a “friend to the United States and one of the world's most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism.”

She also said the US would work with Pakistan's new leaders, pressing on them the need to stem “the growth of extremism.”

The BBC said the British government wished Musharraf well, but emphasized that relations did not depend on one individual.

India said it had no comment to make on the resignation, saying it was an internal Pakistani issue.

According to the BBC, neighboring Afghanistan, whose own President, Hamid Karzai, had a very difficult relationship with Musharraf, hoped his departure would boost democracy in both countries.

Mounting Pressure

The BBC said Musharraf's resignation followed more than a year of turbulence. He won the presidential election in October, but the Supreme Court refused to confirm the result.

In November, he declared a state of emergency, citing increasing attacks by militants but eventually stood down as head of the army, giving up his main power base.

The BBC reported that the parliamentary election this February, handed a clear victory to the two main opposition parties. The coalition struck a deal to impeach the president earlier this month, and finalised their charges against him hours before he stepped down.
 

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "The Face of Homelessness." Additional details are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com. Reynalds' upcoming book is "We All Need a Little Help." It will be released on October 3 2008. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145. Note: A higher resolution JPEG picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com.