By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday resigned as army chief and shed his uniform after more than four decades of serving in the force.
On Thursday, Musharraf begins his second term as president – this time as a civilian.
“I will not be in uniform tomorrow,” Musharraf said at the military ceremony, saying he was feeling “a little sad”.
“After remaining in uniform for 46 years I am saying goodbye to this army. This army is my life, this army is my passion. I have loved this army,” said Musharraf, after a nine-year reign as army chief.
He passes the army chief’s baton to Vice Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, who will take over as the new army chief after Musharraf relinquishes charge at a grand ceremony in a stadium in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Musharraf, 64, came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999 by deposing the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Musharraf had said he would quit as army chief as soon as the Supreme Court validated his re-election in the October 6 presidential poll.
By shedding his uniform, he has often referred to as his “second skin”, Musharraf fulfils one of the long-held demands of his political rivals and Western allies.
He now aims to become a civilian president, supported by his hand-picked successor as army commander, with a new prime minister heading the government after the January poll.
Musharraf will retain powers under the emergency rule he imposed on Nov. 3. He imposed the emergency in his capacity of army chief but transferred those powers to the presidency.