Musharraf to 'quit army' before Dec 1

The announcement comes as the Pakistani ruler faces growing international calls to shed his uniform.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said that he will step down as army chief before December 1, the country's attorney general told reporters on Thursday.

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The announcement came as military ruler Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and declared a state of emergency on November 3, faced growing international calls to shed his uniform.

"The president has said he will give up his uniform before December 1," attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum told a news conference.

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Musharraf and other officials have previously said he will wait for the Supreme Court to rule on the legality of his October 6 re-election as president before quitting the army.

Asked what would happen if the court -- stripped of hostile judges under emergency laws -- ruled against Musharraf, Qayyum said: "He will decide about it himself. He has already his appointed his successor."

Musharraf named former spy chief Ashfaq Kiyani as the heir apparent to the post of chief of army staff in October. Qayyum said Pakistan's incoming caretaker government would take an oath on Friday morning after the current parliament dissolves at one minute before midnight.