Mush ready to give up key powers

ASSOCIATED PRESS SERVICE

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf has agreed to give up his powers to dissolve parliament and dismiss the prime minister following several rounds of secret parleys with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, a media report said on Saturday. The embattled president agreed, in principle, to give up his sweeping powers under Article 58(2b) of the constitution and had the message conveyed to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari through a messenger, Dawn News channel reported. The presidential camp contacted Zardari after several rounds of secret talks between Musharraf’s aides and the PPP, the channel said. However, Musharraf linked the repeal of the controversial constitutional article to two conditions — that legal cover be provided to all the actions he had taken as army chief after imposing emergency on November 3 last year, and that the National Security Council not be scrapped. The channel also quoted sources in the presidential camp as saying that Musharraf would back the reinstatement of dozens of judges he sacked provided he is allowed to serve as constitutional head of state for his full tenure. Musharraf was re-elected for a five-year term in October last year before he doffed his military uniform. While the PPP is ready to forge a "working relationship" with Musharraf, its ally PML-N has been insisting that the president quit. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif made a fresh demand on Friday for Musharraf to step down while unveiling plans to restore the deposed judges on May 12.