Musharraf to resist moves to oust him

Pervez Musharraf says, he would firmly resist moves to curb his powers or remove him from office, saying he has the support of "powerful" friends like the US.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has served notice that he would firmly resist moves to curb his powers or remove him from office, saying he has the support of "powerful" friends like the US.

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"If the coalition government tries to clip the powers of the president or proposes his impeachment, Musharraf is all set to go all-out to counter the move," The News reported Thursday.

The president reportedly told a delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) that he had no confidence in Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that leads the country's ruling alliance.

The PML-Q delegation met Musharraf Wednesday to discuss the PPP's proposed constitutional amendments under which the Supreme Court and high court judges the president sacked after declaring an emergency last November would be restored.

This apart, the amendments would enable the impeachment of the president for any unconstitutional acts he might have committed.

Quoting a source in the PML-Q, The News said: "The president told the PML-Q leaders that he enjoyed support of the powerful national institutions, the US and some political parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement."

Musharraf also advised the PML-Q leaders to devise their strategy to counter any moves against him.

"Musharraf told the PML-Q leaders to strengthen their position in the Senate and the National Assembly as well as outside parliament and intensify their interaction with other political parties," The News quoted its source as saying.

Former information minister Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani has been assigned the special task of consolidating the party's position in parliament's upper house.