As tension over his fate mounted, the Pakistani military tried to broker a deal that would allow the head of state to make an honourable exit and retire with immunity from prosecution.
Sources close to the military said that secret talks were under way to avoid impeachment proceedings. A deal would end the former general's rule of almost nine years and complete the transition to democracy.
Ahmad Mukhtar, the Defence Minister, said yesterday that the ruling coalition was in touch with Mr Musharraf's aides. "We have conveyed to them that the coalition is determined for impeachment and if he wants to save himself, the best way is for him to quit," Mr Mukhtar said. The talks have dragged on, with the Pakistan Muslim League (N), led by Nawaz Sharif, the former Prime Minister and junior partner in the fractured coalition Government, insisting that Mr Musharraf be tried for sedition.
by James Bone and Zahid Hussain
Mohammad Zia-Ul-Haq died with several of his generals and the US Ambassador in a mysterious aircraft crash in 1988
The former general, who seized power in 1999, is fighting for his political survival after the ruling alliance decided last week to proceed with an impeachment motion against him. A close aide predicted that he would be out within a few days.
The military has indicated that it would not allow its former chief to go through impeachment and be humiliated. "The military will not let him be persecuted," a senior army officer said. Its high command is also becoming increasingly concerned by the political turmoil triggered by the power struggle. Some observers fear that the impeachment process could draw military intervention.
No previous Pakistani leader has been impeached but proceedings against Mr Musharraf appear inevitable if he stands his ground against the coalition Government. The chances of him surviving the vote are increasingly slim, with several of his old allies ready to switch.
Mr Musharraf effectively became politically isolated after his rivals swept parliamentary elections in February. The governing coalition, led by the Pakistan People's Party, decided to press for impeachment, saying that Mr Musharraf had plunged Pakistan into political and economic crises during his tenure.
Analysts said that the stand-off might not go as far as an impeachment motion in Parliament because it is almost certain that Mr Musharraf would lose. His best way out would now seem to be a dignified exit before Parliament debates the impeachment.
Beleaguered President is given a lifeline to avoid impeachment
By Andrew Buncombe and Omar Waraich in Islamabad
Sunday, 17 August 2008
AP
Supporters of the Pakistan People's Party protesting against Pervez Musharraf on Friday
Pervez Musharraf's endgame drama has taken a new twist after Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief flew to Pakistan to urge the President's political opponents to allow him a graceful exit from office.
Less than two days before Pakistan's government is scheduled to lay out impeachment charges against Mr Musharraf in parliament, Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz arrived in Islamabad to intervene on the beleaguered President's behalf. He urged the government to agree to a deal that would allow Mr Musharraf to avoid impeachment.
The intervention of Saudi Arabia could prove crucial. Along with the US and China, the Arabian kingdom "“ a major source of economic aid "“ has considerable influence in Pakistan. "Yes, Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz did visit Pakistan on Friday and met senior government officials," a senior government official told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "The main purpose of the visit was to find an amicable solution to the impeachment issue and that no one should become a laughing stock."
The stumbling block to agreeing a deal for Mr Musharraf's departure is the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the man whom the former general forced from power in a 1999 coup. Mr Sharif has insisted the President should not be granted immunity from prosecution.
Saudi Arabia has been closely linked to the long struggle between Mr Sharif and Mr Musharraf. Last year Prince Muqrin was again involved in Pakistan's politics when Mr Sharif returned from exile in Saudi Arabia to try to launch an election campaign, only to be immediately deported to Jeddah by Mr Musharraf.
The announcement 10 days ago by Pakistan's government, led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), that it intended to impeach the President triggered furious speculation as to whether Mr Musharraf would choose to resign or else fight for his political life. While publicly insisting he will stay, many of Mr Musharraf's former allies have deserted him and intense negotiations are under way to broker a deal for him to stand down.
Chief among the President's concerns is to receive a cast-iron guarantee that he will not be prosecuted and will continue to receive round-the-clock security. But for a self-styled saviour of Pakistan who believes he has rescued the country over the past eight and a half years, much will depend on the manner in which his departure takes place.
Even at this stage Mr Musharraf could decide to stay and fight. His senior lawyer, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, said that prior to allegations of corruption, subversion of the constitution and economic mismanagement being levelled at him by the PPP, he may have been prepared to stand down. Now, said Mr Pirzada, he was preparing for battle. "Maybe before, he might have thought about stepping down but not now," he added.
Since seizing power in 1999, Mr Musharraf has cheated both physical and political death several times. If he survives this latest crisis, it will be his most surprising turn yet. As one of his close allies, Senator Mushahid Hussain, often says: "Musharraf is like a cat with nine lives and he has used eight of them."