A pakisztániak többségének megelégedésére távozik a puccsal hatalomra került, az USA és Izrael által 9 éve hatalomban tartott elnök-tábornok, Pervez Musarraf. Bukását maga jelentette be. Az országban több helyütt utcai tánccal ünnepelték a diktátor lemondását, akinek népszerűtlenségét jelzi, hogy tanácsadói tagadták, miszerint száműzetésbe menne, ezen túlmenően pedig szinte bizonyos, hogy bíróság elé állítják az alkotmány megsértéséért (hacsak a CIA és a Moszad meg nem szökteti ). Valójában hazaárulásért és tömeggyilkosságért kéne felelnie. Musarraf, aki korábban kirobbanthatatlannak látszott, háta mögött az amerikai fegyverekkel és pénzzel, azt mondta, Pakisztán érdekében hozta meg döntését.

English version below

A diktátor majd évtizedes uralma alatt amerikai és izraeli pénzen folytatott háborút saját népe ellen több tartományban és támogatta Afganisztán amerikai megszállását. A lázongó hegyi törzseket azonban nem tudta leverni, végül a városi lakosság körében is végleg kitelt becsülete, és külföldről pénzelt hadserege sem állt már egységesen mögötte. Utolszor még megpróbálkozott azzal, hogy elnöki hatalmát bebetonozza a mindenkori és sohasem tiszta választások végeredményétől függetlenül, de végül ez a kísérlete is csődöt mondott, hiába vezetett be szükségállapotot és hiába váltotta le a legfelsőbb bíróság több tagját 2007 novemberében.

Teljhatalma utolsó időszakában meggyilkolták az ellenzéki politikusnőt, Benazir Bhutto-t (még jóval korábban volt pakisztáni miniszterelnök, majd száműzött, aki egyébként szintén nem volt Grál-lovag), amit megpróbáltak a tálib felkelőkre kenni, de már ez sem állította meg a tábornok népszerűségének hanyatlását, és a választási csalások ellenére is veszített. Bhutto pártja és szövetségesei győztek, akik  hosszas belső küzdelmek után idén augusztus 7-én egyeztek meg abban, hogy Musarrafot bíróság elé állítják. A volt diktátor tagadja a vádakat.

Musarraf Bukása csapás a cionistáknak és könnyen lehet, hogy az atomhatalom Pakisztán kicsúszik a washingtoni és tel-avivi ellenőrzés alól. Persze ez nem biztos, mert korrupt, hazaáruló politikusokból az ázsiai állam sem szenved hiányt.

Jelenleg a helyzet kissé zavaros, a Musarrafot lemondásra kényszerítő kormány egyes hírek szerint szaúd-arábiai, amerikai és brit közvetítéssel azon alkudozik Musarraf tanácsadóival, hogy a diktátor büntetlenségért cserébe menedékjogot kérjen valahol külföldön. Más források, így a diktáror környezet ezt tagadja.

Tovább fokozta a zavart Rice amerikai külügyér kijelentése, miszerint nincs napirenden a volt elnök-tábornok menedékjoga, és az USA a 'demokratikus pakisztáni kormánnyal' kíván foglakozni. Az USA és csatlósai azt szeretnék, ha az új pakisztáni vezetés változatlan intenzitásal folytatná a háborút az afgán határ közelében a tálibok, vagyis saját népe ellen, és akkor nekik mindegy, ki a főnök. Mindezt a bhuttoista koalíció, ha nem is Washington nagy megelégedésére, de folytatni látszik. Mindenesetre az amik rendszeresen átlőnek Afganisztánból Pakisztánba - természetesen civileket is megölve - mert szerintük a paki hadsereg nem harcol elég keményen sajátjai ellen. A megosztott és vegyes összetételű pakisztáni kormány ezt, nyilatkozatokat leszámítva eddig eltűrte. Mindez, megtetézve a jelen gazdasági válsággal, idővel alááshatja az új hatalmat is.

Kuruc.info - Nemzetközi hírügynökségek

President Pervez Musharraf resigns ISLAMABAD, Aug 18: General (Retd/Reuters/AFP) Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation from the office of President of Pakistan on Monday, August 18. He said he was sending his resignation to the Speaker of the National Assembly. He asked his well-wishers to accept his decision in the interests of Pakistan. He said his decision was on the slogan of Pakistan first and he wanted the country to prosper.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday in the face of looming impeachment charges, ending a turbulent nine years in power. “After viewing the situation and consulting legal advisers and political allies, with their advice I have decided to resign,” a grim-faced Musharraf, wearing a sober suit and tie, said in a televised address to the nation. “I leave my future in the hands of the people.” Musharraf said he would hand his resignation to the speaker of the national assembly (lower house of parliament) later on Monday.

He made the shock announcement after denying that any of the impeachment charges against him could stand and launching into a lengthy defence of his time in power.“Not a single charge in the impeachment can stand against me,” Musharraf said. “No charge can be proved against me because I never did anything for myself, it was all for Pakistan.” He said that there was now law and order in the country, that human rights and democracy had been improved and that Pakistan was now an crucial country internationally. “On the map of the world, Pakistan is now an important country, by the grace of Allah,” he said. Musharraf's popularity slumped last year amid his attempts to oust the country's chief justice and then during a wave of alleged Taliban suicide bombings that killed more than 1,000 people, including former premier Benazir Bhutto.

He imposed a state of emergency in November last year to force his re-election to another five-year term through the Supreme Court, but his political allies were trounced at the February polls.The coalition of parties which won the February election, led by Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, finally overcame months of divisions and agreed to impeach Musharraf on August 7. It piled on the pressure with no-confidence votes in Pakistan's four provincial assemblies last week. Then on Sunday it said it had drawn up impeachment charges and would lodge them in parliament this week. The charges reportedly included violation of the constitution and gross misconduct.

Officials say that Musharraf's aides have been in talks with the coalition, brokered by Saudi Arabia, the United States and Britain, to allow him to quit in return for indemnity. Musharraf's spokesman had repeatedly denied in recent days that he was about to quit, and it was not immediately clear what would happen next. But a lack of apparent support from Pakistan's army, which he left in November, apparently made other options -- including dissolving parliament or even declaring another state of emergency -- impossible. Speculation over Musharraf's fate intensified overnight when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that granting asylum to Musharraf was not currently under consideration by the United States. “That's not an issue on the table, and I just want to keep our focus on what we must do with the democratic government of Pakistan,” Rice said. Western allies want Pakistan to resolve the crisis over Musharraf so it can deal with the fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, where nearly 500 people have died in the past week.The government is also struggling to deal with a severe economic crunch.

Musharraf not to go in exile?

President Pervez Musharraf who resigned as President of Pakistan would not leave the country. Several close aides said Musharraf was not set to go into exile as several of Pakistan's former leaders have done. “He is not going anywhere,” one aide said. Musharraf's resignation was to be formally handed in to parliament later in the day. The leaders of the ruling coalition, Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, later met in Islamabad. Television footage showed them smiling broadly and shaking hands but they made no immediate comment. Bhutto's son Bilawal said Musharraf’s successor would be from her party but there was no immediate indication about any candidates. Cheering crowds poured into the streets after President Musharraf announced his resignation in an address telecast on television. However, there was little immediate reaction from outside the country with the exception of Afghanistan. “We hope that the resignation of President Musharraf... leads to a strengthening of the civilian government and democracy in Pakistan,” said foreign ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen in Afghanistan.

Pakistanis jubilant over Musharraf's resignation

Pakistanis danced in the streets on Monday after President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation, with many ordinary people hoping his departure would bring improvement to their lives. Lawyers, who have spearheaded an anti-Musharraf campaign since he tried to sack the chief justice last year, stormed out of courts in Multan on hearing of Musharraf's resignation, shouting “Down with the American stooge.” Jaffar Shah, a retired soldier in Peshawar, said: “The root cause of all problems has gone. I wish I could fire shots to show my joy but unfortunately I can't do that.” People in Karachi handed out sweets and danced in celebration. “Thank God he's resigned. The country will do much better now. It's a victory for the people,” said a businessman. In Lahore, the sound of drums and cheers of joy echoed throughout this ancient walled city. Elsewhere, people fired Kalashnikovs in the air to celebrate. Some Pakistanis harboured what seem unrealistic expectations for the post-Musharraf outlook: “Inflation is surely going to go down now,” said one shopkeeper. Others were less optimistic as despite Musharraf's unpopularity, many Pakistanis are suspicious of the civilian politicians -- a number of whom have returned to power -- were dogged by accusations of corruption and mismanagement when they ruled in the 1990s. Some said they feared that with Musharraf gone, the coalition would be beset by infighting between them. Other Pakistanis sounded a note of caution, saying that the nation would now likely see more political chaos. “I think we should see about the state of the country. The coalition have been saying Musharraf was a big obstacle. We will see what they do now,” Ahmed, a political analyst said.