New York: Acknowledging that he is somewhat "confused" over giving up the post of the Army Chief by the end of this year as promised by him, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said the issue involves "very serious considerations" which were a cause of concern for him.

"There are certainly very serious considerations which are causing concern in my mind and I have not made up my mind yet" on stepping down as the Army Chief, he told reporters in New York yesterday (Sep 23, 2004) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

He noted that conditions in Pakistan have changed since he pledged last December to quit the post as part of a deal with Islamic alliance Muttahida Majlis-e Amal which got his constitutional amendments ratified in Parliament.

Declining to say when he plans to step down as Army Chief in the interest of democracy, the General asserted that he had established "sustainable democracy."

There are issues of continuity of policies with regards to anti-terrorism campaign, rapprochement with India and the societal changes he is trying to bring about in Pakistan itself, he said.

Besides, Musharraf said, there is the question of sustainability of the democratic institutions he had created.

"These are issues in which I personally think unity of authority may be required. Therefore, I am rather confused on the matter," he said.

But he stressed that Pakistan enjoys 99 per cent democracy and claimed that all norms of democracy are being observed.

There is freedom of speech and of the press, women and minorities have been empowered and elected provincial and Central Assemblies are functioning, he said.