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Musharraf Quits as Pakistan President
Coalition government's impeachment threats, along with a probable immunity deal, drive president to step down |
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August 19 - Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, bowed to massive domestic and international pressure to quit yesterday in a move that could further destabilise the volatile country if the coalition government fails to hold together now that their common enemy is removed.
Musharraf abandoned Pakistan's support of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and declared the country in a state of emergency last fall. With Musharraf out of the picture, the country's government is now expected to concentrate on preventing extremist attacks inside Pakistan rather than cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.
The authoritarian leader - who after 9/11 was seen by the West as a key ally in the war on terror - had become a busted flush even to his keenest international supporters as he lost legitimacy at home.
According to the Hindu newspaper "Musharraf's exit is unlikely to undo Pakistani militants. " It goes on to state that the country's new civilian government has done "little to change Musharraf's policies in the troubled northwest regions bordering Afghanistan. The coalition government wants to retain close ties to Washington, and support the international fight against Islamic extremism."
Watch the full story on The Real News Network
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