Musharraf calls off China visit amid fears of his ouster

Islamabad, Aug 6 (PTI) President Pervez Musharraf
Wednesday abruptly cancelled his scheduled visit to China to
participate in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in
the wake of reports that Pakistan's ruling coalition could be
finalising a move to impeach him.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told reporters
that Musharraf, who was due to fly to Beijing Wednesday, had
called off his visit, a day after sparring coalition allies
Pakistan People's Party and Nawaz Sharif's P.M.L.(N.) had
crucial talks to discuss his fate.

Officials, whoever, did not give any reason for the
decision.

Other sources, however, said Musharraf cancelled his
visit after the top leaders of the P.P.P.-led coalition agreed
in principle to impeach the President.

Musharraf has also called a meeting of his close
constitutional and legal advisors at his camp office in
Rawalpindi to discuss a strategy to counter any possible move
to impeach him, the sources said.

The sources further said the decision to explore ways
to impeach Musharraf was taken during a marathon meeting
Tuesday between P.P.P. co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and
P.M.L.-N. chief Nawaz Sharif.

Both parties have been tight-lipped about the meeting
and did not issue any statement on the talks.

Leaders of both parties merely said they had reached
consensus on several key issues and a final decision would be
taken after consulting the other allies of the coalition,
including the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Awami National Party and
parliamentarians from the tribal areas.

Though the top leaders of the P.P.P. and P.M.L.-N.
were earlier scheduled to meet here Wednesday at 11.30 am, the
meeting has now been deferred till 2 PM. The P.P.P. and
P.M.L.-N. also held hectic consultations with leaders of the
other parties in the coalition Tuesday night.