Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf: 'I have decided to resign'
Updated on 18 August 2008
Facing a threat of impeachment, the Pakistan president used televised address to announce his exit today.
Pervez Musharraf announced his decision after his popularity has plummeted in Pakistan over the last eighteen months. The pressure culminated in the ruling party preparing impeachment charges against him.
"After consultations with legal advisers and close political supporters and on their advice, I'm taking the decision of resigning," he said in the hour-long speech. "My resignation will go to the speaker of the National Assembly today."
He said he was resigning for the sake of the nation, rather than face the impeechment charges he declared to be false.
"Whether I win or lose, the nation must lose," the 65-year-old president said. "The honour and dignity of the country will be affected and in my view, the honour of the office of president will also be affected."
US ally
Musharraf was initially seen as a military dictator since the former army chief took power in a coup in 1999, overthrowing the then prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.
However, he later became a close ally of the United States in the war against terror, with the U.S. government investing $11bn into Pakistan. Hundreds of al Qaeda operatives were captured in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
Yet the alliance was always contentious in Pakistan, with many accusing the liberal Musharraf, who was known for liking whisky and owned a pet dog, of betraying Islam.
The general election in 2002, which elected the parliament that confirmed his position as president, was widely considered to have been rigged. This parliament then re-elected him shortly before their term in office finished.
The subsequent legal challenge to his re-election has been considered as the start of his downfall.
Downfall
Although Musharraf had promised to return democracy to Pakistan, in March 2007 he tried to force the Supreme Court Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, to resign.
Chaudhry's refusal brought together lawyers in protest to defend the judicial system and galvanised the opposition.
As a result, Musharraf declared emergency rule for six weeks before the Supreme Court could rule on his re-election. Having secured this second term, Musharraf stepped down from the army and set an election date.
Musharraf's downfall
Dec 1999: seized power in a bloodless coup and became president in 2001
Mar 2007: suspends Supreme Court Chief Justice leading lawyers to rally around the top judge.
19 Oct: Benazir Bhutto returns from exile.
3 Nov: emergency rule imposed and thousands of opposition politicians and lawyers detained the day after the Supreme Court met to decide eligibility for re-election.
25 Nov: Sharif returns from exile.
28 Nov: Musharraf tearfully hands over control of the army.
15 Dec: emergency rule is lifted.
27 Dec: Benazir Bhutto is assassinated.
18 Feb 2008: Pakistan People's party and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League sweep to power in election.
7 Aug: coalition announces intention to prepare impeachment charges against Musharraf.
18 Aug: Musharraf announces resignation.
Isolation
In late 2007, Nawaz Sharif and the leader of the Pakistan People's Party, Benazir Bhutto, returned to Pakistan to contest the general election.
Bhutto's subsequent assassination on 27 December 2007, led her widower, Asif Ali Zardari, to take over the party.
The Pakistan People's Party won the parliamentary election in February, and built an alliance with Sharif that cemented Musharraf's political isolation.
On 7 August 2008, the ruling coalition announced their intention to impeach the president for violating the constitution and misconduct.
Coalition officials said he was seeking immunity from prosecution, but he said in his speech "I don't want anything from anybody. I have no interest. I leave my future in the hands of the nation and people."
Saudi Arabia, the United States and Britain have been involved in negotiations to end the confrontation, but in recent days all four provincial assemblies passed resolutions to urge his resignation.
