ISLAMABAD, Feb 24 (KUNA) The Presidential spokesman Sunday denied reports that President Musharraf was considering resignation in the aftermath of his rivals victory in the recently-held elections.
Rashid Qureshi, the spokesman, talking to local news channels termed the report as baseless and that nothing of this sort was going on in the President Office.
The British Sunday Telegraph citing unnamed close friend of Musharraf said that the President was considering stepping down as president of Pakistan rather than waiting to be forced out by his victorious opponents. It said Musharraf believed he had run out of options after three of the main parties have announced to form a coalition government together and that they will restore his dismissed judges including former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Qureshi said that the report had not credence as it did not identify the source. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), now led by Benazir Bhuttos widower Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was ousted and sent into exile by President Musharraf, and Awami National Party (ANP) were the main winners of Feb 18th general elections.
President Musharraf earlier had declined to quit and rather extended a hand of cooperation in forming national consensus government.
While PPP has adopted the policy of wait-and-see, Nawaz Sharif has been repeatedly urging Musharraf to resign.
Former Federal Minister and close aide of Musharraf, Sheikh Rashid, in an interview on Saturday night with a local news channel said that the new assembly and President Musharraf cannot work together.