Musharraf resigns as president of Pakistan

PAKISTAN'S President Pervez Musharraf said he was handing in his resignation today to avoid an impeachment battle that would harm the nation's interests.

An emotional Mr Musharraf said in a televised speech that he leaves office knowing whatever he has done "was for the people and for the country."

"I hope the nation and the people will forgive my mistakes," Mr Musharraf said towards the end of the address, much of which was devoted to defending his record and refuting criticisms.

It was not immediately clear whether Mr Musharraf would stay in Pakistan.

He said his fate was in the hands of the Pakistani people.

Mr Musharraf dominated Pakistan for years after seizing power in a 1999 military coup, making the country a key strategic ally of the US by supporting the war on terror.

But his popularity at home sank over the years.

Many Pakistanis blame rising violence in their country on Mr Musharraf's alliance with the US.

His reputation suffered blows in 2007 when he ousted dozens of judges and imposed emergency rule.

His rivals won February parliamentary elections and have since sought his ouster, announcing impeachment plans earlier this month.

Mr Musharraf, who has been largely sidelined since his rivals came to power, had resisted mounting calls to resign in recent days, even as the coalition said it had finalised impeachment charges against him and could send a motion to Parliament later this week.

In announcing he would quit after all, Mr Musharraf mentioned the many problems facing Pakistan, including its sinking economy. "I pray the government stops this down-sliding and take the country out of this crisis," he said.

Allies and rivals of the president said talks had been under way to get him to step down by possibly granting him legal immunity from future prosecution. The status of those talks was not immediately clear today.

With Mr Musharraf's utility fading, Western concerns appeared less with his ultimate fate than about how the clamour was affecting the halting efforts of the new civilian government against terrorism and the gathering economic woes.

A US Embassy spokesman declined to comment after Mr Musharraf's speech, referring calls to Washington. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday the Pakistani president's future was an internal issue.

While Mr Musharraf was a "good ally" who "kept his word" on ending military rule, whether he should resign "is a matter for Pakistan to determine," she said.

Miliband call for early election

Foreign Secretary David Miliband today called for the early election of a new president in Pakistan following the resignation of Pervez Musharraf.

Mr Miliband said Mr Musharraf's decision to step down ended a "critical period" in Pakistan's history and paved the way for the recently-elected government to act in the long-term interests of the country's people.

The Foreign Secretary also paid tribute to Mr Musharraf's "commitment to tackle terrorism, to promote dialogue with India, especially over Kashmir, and to root out corruption."

His comments came shortly after Downing Street paid tribute to Mr Musharraf for improving relations between the UK and Pakistan.

Mr Miliband described Pakistan as a "vital friend" and said the UK would remain "strongly committed" to its relationship with the country.

But he added that Britain had always emphasised the need for strong institutions rather than strong individuals, and said the responsibilities on Pakistan's political leaders were now "significant".

In a statement, Mr Miliband said: "The announcement by President Musharraf that he is standing down as president brings to a close a critical period in Pakistan's history and its relations with the UK and other countries.

"Pakistan is a vital friend of the UK and it is essential for Britain's security, never mind the personal ties that bind nearly one million British people to Pakistan, that it has a strong and democratic government with a clear mandate and programme for thorough-going reform of its social, political and economic structures.

"In this context, the Musharraf years yielded significant dividends, notably in the economic field but also, until last autumn, in areas like media freedom.

"It is important to highlight President Musharraf's commitment to tackle terrorism, to promote dialogue with India, especially over Kashmir, and to root out corruption.

"But reform depends above all on legitimacy, and that is why the UK has been at pains to stress the importance for Pakistan of strong institutions rather than strong individuals, and why we believe a strong democracy is key.

"The responsibilities on political leaders in Pakistan are now significant. They need to come together to ensure that the recently elected government carries forward an economic and security agenda consistent with the long-term interests of the Pakistani people.

"The UK will remain strongly committed to its partnership with the Pakistani people, notably through our aid programme.

"We will also continue to deepen our security cooperation with the new government.

"And we will be clear about the essential nature of a new partnership between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"I look forward to the early election of a new president in Pakistan to take forward the important shared work that binds our two countries together."

Downing Street had earlier stressed that Pakistan's relations with Britain were not reliant on Mr Musharraf.

"During President Musharraf's time in office we have seen a deepening of UK-Pakistan relations," a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said.

"We wish him well in the future.

"But relations between the UK and Pakistan don't depend on individuals and as we have made clear we support measures that promote strong democratic institutions which lead to greater stability, democracy and rule of law in Pakistan."