Musharraf's opponents softening stance on his removal

Political rivals of President Pervez Musharraf appeared to be softening stance on his removal as they covered further grounds to form coalition governments at center and in provinces amid more violence hitting the country after a peaceful week.
Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said in an interview to a United States newspaper he would seek a working relationship with the isolated leader rather than immediately going for his impeachment by the incoming parliament.
"And the ground realities are that a two-thirds majority is not with the PPP in both houses (of the parliament)," Zardari, whose party won most seats in the National Assembly in last week parliamentary polls, was quoted as saying. Pakistan's periodically amended constitutions says legislatures can remove the president through a parliamentary rebuke called impeachment by only if they have two-thirds majority both in the National Assembly and the Senate-the lower and the upper houses respectively.
Separately in Islamabad, former premier Nawaz Sharif said it would be better for Pakistan if Musharraf quits himself before being thrown out by others but he sounded unsure whether next parliament could oust him instantly.
Rather, he said top judges Musharraf ousted in November last year to block a Supreme Court verdict against his controversial reelection a month ago should be restored to decide his fate.
He did not come out with a clear answer whether he would ask his men in the parliament to prepare other coalition partners for eliminating Musharraf at once new assemblies started working next month.
According to results of last Monday's ballot, the PPP, the PML-N and a Pushtoon nationalist party of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) are just few members short of two-thirds majority in the National Assembly but there are chances they can reach the figure.
But in the Senate, for which indirect polls (through a college of provincial legislatures) take place after each three years, they hardly have even a simple majority.
Next balloting to elect half of upper house's members is scheduled for March next year. Academically so, opposition parties will have to wait for at least one more year if they really want Musharraf out of the power game.
In reality, they can, however, do it by pressurising the isolated ruler politically. But fears are such a push can backfire. Experts believe the PPP, which is often blamed for 1971 break-up of Pakistan, will avoid any direct confrontation with Musharraf to avoid further turmoil that can hit the country's fragile integrity also being threatened by Islamic militancy in the north west and a nationalist separation movement in the south west.
Also the United States doesn't hitherto want Musharraf go home because administration officials in Washington still regard him their best bit in war on terror. They believe forces of radical Islam can defeat a civilian Pakistani government if the former military chief is forced to leave at this stage.
Exactly when US ambassador to Islamabad Anne Peterson met Nawaz Sharif on Monday for the first time after polls reportedly to pursue him for accepting Musharraf, a suicide bombing killed a top military official in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi.
In Lahore, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif said PML-N and PPP were in final stages to decide what should be the composition of their mutual governments. Parliamentary party of Awami National Party (ANP) endorsed its leadership decision form coalition governments with the PPP and PML-N both in Islamabad and NWFP.