Key allies of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf say they will
challenge any attempt by the country's ruling coalition to impeach him.
A
spokesman for the main pro-Musharraf opposition party, Tariq Azeem,
Friday expressed doubts the ruling coalition has enough votes in
parliament to move forward. Aides said President Musharraf has no
plans to resign.
Thursday, Pakistan People's Party leader Asif
Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said they want to
strip Mr. Musharraf of the presidency and restore the judges he ousted
last year.
Friday, Mr. Sharif announced his party's ministers
will rejoin the cabinet in a show of solidarity after the coalition
leaders agreed to impeach President Musharraf. The ministers had
resigned in May, because of the coalition's failure to reinstate the
judiciary.
Impeaching Mr. Musharraf requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament.
In
Washington, a State Department spokesman, Gonzalo Gallegos, said
Thursday the impeachment plan is an internal matter, but that the U.S.
wants any action to be consistent with Pakistan's constitution and the
rule of law.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.