Speculation rife over Musharraf move

Speculation swirled in Pakistan yesterday that a deal would be reached shortly enabling President Pervez Musharraf to resign without fear of prosecution, avoiding a divisive impeachment process.

Talk of resignation by former army chief Musharraf has been mounting since the coalition government, led by the party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said this month it planned to impeach him.

Prolonged jockeying and uncertainty over Musharraf's position has already hurt Pakistan's financial markets and raised concern among the United States and other allies it is distracting from efforts to control violent militants in the nuclear-armed nation.