Musharraf gets farewell guard of honour, bids adieu to staff

ruler Pervez Musharraf was accorded a farewell guard offrom the post of President.

Looking sombre, Musharraf inspected the guard of honour presented by a tri-services contingent on the forecourt of the Presidency. A military band played martial tunes duringthe brief ceremony.

Musharraf then shook hands with members of his staff at the Presidency before leaving the imposing building in the heart of Islamabad for the last time. He then drove to hiscamp office in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Earlier in the day, Musharraf announced during a televised address to the nation that he was resigning in order to avoid a conflict between national institutions like thePresidency and the government.

He also dismissed the charges levelled against him bythe coalition, saying none of them could be proved.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar, Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen. Tariq Majid, Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed, the Acting Air Force chief and Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomroo called on Musharraf afteracting President.

Under the Pakistani constitution, the Senate Chairman automatically becomes the President on the latter post fallingvacant.