Paul Wiseman and Zafar M. Sheikh
USA Today
February 19, 2008
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf came under pressure to resign Tuesday, a day after his allies in parliament suffered a devastating defeat at the polls. Lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, a hero of pro-democracy protests last year and a dark-horse contender to be next prime minister, on Tuesday called on pro-U.S. Musharraf to step down.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose party was a big winner in Monday’s vote, said he would meet with the other leaders of other parties to decide whether to impeach Musharraf when the next parliament convenes.
“He is completely finished. He has no option,” but resigning, says retired Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg, Pakistan’s former army chief. “It will be very embarrassing for him to stay on with a hostile parliament.”
The official tally from Monday’s election has not been completed yet, but state television reported that Musharraf’s supporters in the former ruling party had so far managed to win just 39 of 272 seats up for grabs in the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament.
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