Muhammad Najeeb

Islamabad: President Pervez Musharraf is expected to resign later Monday following his address to the nation in the afternoon, official sources here said.

The speculation is that Musharraf, who took over as president after overthrowing the government of Nawaz Sharif in October 1999,will fly to Saudi Arabia where he will stay. "An unmarked plane is present at the military airbase in nearby Rawalpindi," an official at the base told IANS.

However, Musharraf s spokesperson Rashid Qureshi denied rumours that Musharraf, who could be impeached by the ruling coalition of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), would resign Monday.

Former prime minister Sharif, who was also sent to Saudi Arabia by Musharraf a year after the government was dismissed, said in his Independence Day address Aug 14: "Sparing Musharraf means encouraging abrogation of constitution and illegal actions by any dictator."

Source : IANS