Musharrafs opponents pushing to make CJ Chaudhry Pak President

Political opponents of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf are apparently keen to project suspended Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the man most suitable to replace the former, says a New Delhi-based website.

New Delhi, May 13 : Political opponents of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf are apparently keen to project suspended Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the man most suitable to replace the former, says a New Delhi-based website.

According to politicsparty.com, the sacking of Chaudhry through the March 9 presidential reference, has resulted in a nation-wide mobilisation of support for Chaudhry, which is far larger than what former Prime Ministers Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto can expect should they take the step of returning to Pakistan before the 2007 General elections.

"The Americans cannot now insist on Benazir because Iftikhar controls the Musharraf mood and votes in Pakistan. Musharraf's opponents hope to defeat him in the presidential elections 2007 with Iftikhar Chaudhry as the oopsition candidate," claims the website.

It further claims that should Chaudhry succeed, the Americans will have deal with an "unknown devil", rather than the known Musharraf.

The website also suggests that Washington is putting pressure on Musharraf to accept a politician as the country's next Prime Minister, suggesting that this has led to a deal being brokered between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto.

ANI