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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Musharraf to quit army 'in days' | Musharraf to quit army 'in days' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| President Pervez Musharraf will be sworn in for another term of office on Thursday, his spokesman Rashid Qureshi has told the BBC. | President Pervez Musharraf will be sworn in for another term of office on Thursday, his spokesman Rashid Qureshi has told the BBC. |
| The spokesman told the BBC Urdu service that Gen Musharraf would resign as head of the army before taking the presidential oath of office. | The spokesman told the BBC Urdu service that Gen Musharraf would resign as head of the army before taking the presidential oath of office. |
| President Musharraf has been under intense international and domestic pressure to give up his military role. | President Musharraf has been under intense international and domestic pressure to give up his military role. |
| He seized power in a coup in 1999, deposing a civilian government. | He seized power in a coup in 1999, deposing a civilian government. |
| Gen Musharraf's main international backer, the United States, has grown concerned in recent months at the army's inability to rein in pro-Taleban militants and by Gen Musharraf's growing unpopularity. | |
| It had been backing talks between President Musharraf and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who heads the country's largest political party, for a power-sharing deal. | |
| But in recent days Ms Bhutto has said that she could not work with Gen Musharraf. | |
| Options open | Options open |
| Gen Musharraf's spokesman did not clarify whether he would resign from his army post on Thursday or before that. | Gen Musharraf's spokesman did not clarify whether he would resign from his army post on Thursday or before that. |
| Nawaz Sharif returned from exile on Sunday | Nawaz Sharif returned from exile on Sunday |
| As a civilian president, Mr Musharraf would still have considerable powers, including the power to sack a civilian government. | |
| He would still be commander-in-chief of the armed forces. | |
| In October he designated a former head of the intelligence services, Lt Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiani, as his successor as army head. | |
| The man he toppled in the coup, Nawaz Sharif, returned to Pakistan after years of exile on Sunday. | The man he toppled in the coup, Nawaz Sharif, returned to Pakistan after years of exile on Sunday. |
| Mr Sharif and Benazir Bhutto have each served two terms as prime minister. Under current law that would bar them from being prime minister for a third term. | |
| Both leaders have now filed nomination papers to contest parliamentary elections due in January. | |
| But both are holding onto the option of boycotting the options if they deem that they will not be free and fair. | But both are holding onto the option of boycotting the options if they deem that they will not be free and fair. |
| Gen Musharraf imposed emergency rule on 3 November in order, he said, to rein in the judiciary and deal with a growing threat from Islamist militants. | Gen Musharraf imposed emergency rule on 3 November in order, he said, to rein in the judiciary and deal with a growing threat from Islamist militants. |
| Thousands of political opponents were arrested, TV and radio news was banned and judges seen to be a threat to the government were sacked. | Thousands of political opponents were arrested, TV and radio news was banned and judges seen to be a threat to the government were sacked. |