Musharraf agrees to resign as Army Chief, says Benazir

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that President Pervez Musharraf has agreed to resign from his position as Army Chief in a power-sharing deal.

London, Aug 29 : Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that President Pervez Musharraf has agreed to resign from his position as Army Chief in a power-sharing deal.

The deal is not yet complete, but the "uniform issue is resolved," Bhutto told a UK-based newspaper.

"The uniform issue is key and there has been a lot of movement on it in the recent round of talks," she added.

Bhutto said that Musharraf's side tabled a "new issue" in talks in London, and sought her backing for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to be re-elected.

She said that the Musharraf regime would have to make "an upfront gesture of reciprocity, a clear indication of political support for the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and added that her party wanted to see a sign that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was no longer calling the shots."

Among her other conditions for a deal were immunity from prosecution, the lifting of a ban on Prime Ministers serving a third term, and the curbing of presidential powers to sack the government, The News reported.

Bhutto's comments come a day after a Pakistan cabinet minister and a ruling party MP resigned to protest Musharraf's plan to remain as Army Chief, and get re-elected as in uniform by current assemblies between mid-September and mid-October.

ANI