Impeachment Looms For Pakistan's Musharraf

Ruling Party Moves To Oust Former General Who Seized Power In 1999

(CBS/ AP)  Pakistan's ruling coalition has announced it will seek the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf, cranking up pressure on the U.S.-backed former general to resign.

Ruling party chief Asif Ali Zardari declared the decision Thursday was "good news for democracy" in Pakistan.

Announcing a joint coalition statement after two days of talks, he also said the four provincial assemblies should move motions demanding Musharraf take a vote of confidence from lawmakers immediately.

"The coalition further decided that it will immediately initiate impeachment proceedings. The coalition leadership will present a charge sheet against Gen. Musharraf," Zardari told a news conference, along side leaders of the other coalition parties.

Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted as prime minister in Musharraf's 1999 coup and is leader of the second largest coalition party, said, "I agree with what Mr. Zardari has said."

Sharif added: “Pakistan of today is not the Pakistan of the 80s or the 90s. There is a free media and a more active judiciary. Pakistan is a different country” he told reporters.

A spokesman for the ruling party told CBS News under condition of anonymity that "there was no turning back."

Despite his unpopularity in Pakistan, Musharraf has so far resisted calls to step down and insisted he will serve out his current five-year term after he was elected in a contentious parliamentary vote in October.

He dominated Pakistan for eight years, but ceded control of the powerful army last year and has been sidelined in government since the coalition parties trounced his allies in parliamentary elections in February.

Impeaching a president requires a two-thirds majority support of lawmakers in both houses of Parliament. Musharraf loyalists maintain the coalition would struggle to muster it, but Zardari expressed confidence they would succeed.

"We are optimistic that we will succeed," Zardari said. "We hope that 90 percent of the lawmakers will support us."

Tariq Azeem, a spokesman for the main pro-Musharraf opposition party, said it would oppose any impeachment of the president.

"We have backed him and voted from him so we are duty-bound to support him ... We will impose impeachment."

He said there were more pressing issues facing the nation, including "runaway inflation" and sharp hikes in the price of food.

Azeem said he did not think the ruling coalition had the numbers in Parliament to impeach Musharraf, but conceded "things could go either way."

The ruling coalition has a comfortable majority in the National Assembly, or lower house, but Musharraf's supporters retain about half the seats in the Senate, or upper house.

Western diplomats in their immediate reaction warned that this latest twist to Pakistan’s politically tumultuous history will raise concerns in Washington where key government leaders will be closely watching for trends related to the future of Islamabad’s role in the war on terror along the Pak-Afghan region, reports CBS reporter Farhan Bokhari from Islamabad.

Musharraf cultivated close relations with President George W. Bush and extended support to Washington ranging from an airbase for use by U.S. military aircrafts, to intelligence cooperation as well as the deployment of up to 150,000 Pakistani military troops along the Afghan border.

"If this political storm passes relatively quickly and Pakistan is able to demonstrate that there is a new president who supports the war on terror, I think the US will remain relatively unconcerned over the long term," a European ambassador in Islamabad told CBS News on condition of anonymity. "The question however is if this will short and sweet."

[vnveteran72]

BTW, Pelosi took it off the table because she KNOWS that no impeachable offenses were committed. All you know is what the Liberal Media pulls out of it''''s trousers and shoves down your throat. And you ENJOY it and keep asking for more of the same.


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Posted by DemWatcher at 07:39 PM : Aug 07, 2008
+ report abuse

No, oh Retardded One, she took it off the Table because she knows that it would be opposed by ALL the Criminals in the GOPerv Toe-Tapper''s and Wide-Stancer''s Airport Bathroom Social Club and Jizzz Exchange, (otherwise known as Repuke members of Congress)......LMMFAO

[cyberus-2009]

So what?

If he is impeached who is going to throw him out?

The military that has repeatedly overthrown the government and put him in charge?

[demwatcher]

"Any rational person will hope and pray and do all they can to ensure that Cindy Sheehan defeats Pelosi in the next election.

Posted by VastR-WCon at 02:03 PM : Aug 07, 2008"

More proof that Liberals are born with a brain disorder. They are always SPINNING, SPINNING, SPINNING!

We''ll pass the plate for a collection so that you can live in a nice padded room overlooking the sewage treatment plant.

BTW, Pelosi took it off the table because she KNOWS that no impeachable offenses were committed. All you know is what the Liberal Media pulls out of it''s trousers and shoves down your throat. And you ENJOY it and keep asking for more of the same.

[ozonmojo]

By the standards of military dictators history will judge Musharraf as a gentleman.He has provided the much needed stability to a nearly failed state.And the politicians who are going to replace him are from that notorius stock of highly venal professionals that have looted the country blind for years in a row.
It is going to be from the frying pan into the fire for Pakistan,if Musharraf really goes.

[hhroams]

Did you know that Texas Instrument Corporation in Dallas, Tx. is giving Muslims a room to go to when they want to pray to Mecca or if Al Qaeda wants to hold a terrorist training class there also.

They have not set aside a room for Baptists, Catholics, *G*A*Y*S*, beer drinkers, Wiccan witches, Rednecks, KKK, Mormons, Pentecostals, Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, etc but they have for Muslims!!!!
What next?

A lot of those Muslims working at TI and that have their own prayer room/terrorist training room are members of the same group that are currently on trial on federal charges of raising money for Islamic
Terrorist groups and here is an American company helping them by furnishing an inviolate place for them to pray, hold secret meetings, possibly set up an Al Qaeda cell under company sponsorship.
Our troops in the Middle East can%u2019t have alcohol, bibles, *s*e*x*, etc because it might insult the poor Muslims and the Prophet Mohammad%u2019s memory, our women in the military can%u2019t drive because it might insult the poor Saudi%u2019s etc. But over here the Muslims are treated like royalty, they can carry their Koran around, they can dress anyway they want, they make their wives and daughters walk around behind them like they are some kind of animal. All of this because we have a president who loves the oil money so much he lets our troops die over there and they have to live like hermits as they can%u2019t go off of the bases as they might Insult some Islamic fanatic!

[inventagod2]

So is Bu$h/Cheney next?

Guess we can add forgery to those impeachment charges.
Look over the criminal conspiracy statute, 18 USC 371...

[iphyt4u]

Pelosi knew that if you give Bush more rope he''d hang himself. It''s working perfectly, the people of this nation are fed up with this administration. Obama is going to be a great President. He knows what it''s like to struggle in this country. Not like republicans who are born with silver spoons hanging out of their as***.

[pvperson]

bluestardad, you know Bush had his daughter buy a big ranch in Paraguay a few years ago. Maybe he''s setting an old dictators home for he and his friends.

[bluestardad]

ANOTHER OF THE BUSH BUDDIES GOING TO LIVE IN SOUTH AMERICA ON SOME RANCH!

[iuphockey12]

BUSH MCCAIN OBLAMA..... READ THIS...

Joel Osteen is known for her Christianity. But a flight attendant is accusing Victoria Osteen of committing some very unchristian-like behavior

I SINCERELY HOPE THAT Joel Osteen''''''''S WIFE GOES TO JAIL AND LOOSE EVERYTHING....

ACTUALLY NOW I ALSO WISH THAT Joel Osteen ALSO DOES SOMETHING SO HE ALSO GOES TO JAIL AND LOOSES EVERYTHING!!!

LET ME REPEAT...

ACTUALLY NOW I ALSO WISH THAT Joel Osteen ALSO DOES SOMETHING SO HE ALSO GOES TO JAIL AND LOOSES EVERYTHING!!!



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Posted by Good4Always

WHY?

[vastr-wcon]

Who would have thought that Pakistan could set an example for America to follow?

For anybody wondering why, day after day, the citizens of America are outraged, disgusted and embarrassed by the actions of the CheneyBush government, here''s a key reason: Nancy "Impeachment-is-off-the-table" Pelosi, who unilaterally granted these criminals immunity from prosecution for their high crimes and misdemeanors.

This utterly incompetent political hack will go down in history as the worst Speaker of the House ever. She will live in infamy for openly declaring to the most criminal president and vice president ever that "You can do whatever you want, we in Congress won''t do our constitutional duty and stop your high crimes and misdemeanors. H*ll, we won''t even bother to open a serious impeachment investigation, and we''ll basically ignore Kucinich''s Articles of Impeachment for Cheney and his Articles of Impeachment for Dumbya. So go ahead, destroy the Constitution, abuse the Bill of Rights and make a mockery of the American democracy. We''ll look the other way."

The uncontested, arrogant, lawless and un-Constitutional behavior of CheneyBush has provided motivation for criminal thugs around the world - like Musharraf and Putin --to thumb their noses at democracy and act like these American criminals.

Any rational person will hope and pray and do all they can to ensure that Cindy Sheehan defeats Pelosi in the next election.

[vastr-wcon]

How would have thought that Pakistan would become a model for America to follow?

For anybody wondering why, day after day, the citizens of America are outraged, disgusted and embarrassed by the actions of the CheneyBush government, here''s a key reason: Nancy "Impeachment-is-off-the-table" Pelosi, who unilaterally granted these criminals immunity from prosecution for their high crimes and misdemeanors.

This utterly incompetent political hack will go down in history as the worst Speaker of the House ever. She will live in infamy for openly declaring to the most criminal president and vice president ever that "You can do whatever you want, we in Congress won''t do our constitutional duty and stop your high crimes and misdemeanors. H*ll, we won''t even bother to open a serious impeachment investigation So go ahead, destroy the Constitution, abuse the Bill of Rights and make a mockery of the American democracy. We''ll look the other way."

The uncontested, arrogant, lawless and un-Constitutional behavior of CheneyBush has provided motivation for criminal thugs around the world - like Musharraf and Putin --to thumb their noses at democracy and act like these American criminals.

Any rational person will hope and pray and do all they can to ensure that Cindy Sheehan defeats Pelosi in the next election.

[foxmulder33]

Right idea, wrong country. Impeach Bush with honor!

[blitzder]

It seems Pakistani lawmakers have more gumption and common sense, than American elected officials who have nakedly sold their souls (and voter confidence) to corrupt lobbyists for vested interests, which is destroying the fabric of the nation.

[shazam112]

Chimp Bushy and hog cheney should be next in line....