Zardari says he is not a candidate for president

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardai has denied reports that he is a candidate for the office of president as claimed by President Pervez Musharraf in a meeting with allies on Friday.
Zardari told TV channel Aaj on Saturday that he had twice sent messages to President Musharraf about two months ago to tender his resignation and make an honourable exit.
He denied reports that he is a candidate for the office of president as claimed by Musharraf in a meeting with allies on Friday. Amid rapid developments in the capital, a TV channel said the army has advised the president to resign to save the country from impending crisis and dangerous confrontation. He has been assured that the political leadership will be asked to allow him safe exit instead of pursuing plans to impeach and even prosecute him.
Musharraf has convened the session of the National Assembly on Monday as requested by the ruling coalition that intends to introduce a resolution asking him to seek a vote of confidence from the assemblies.
The resolution would be a prelude to introduction of an impeachment motion in the Parliament in case Musharraf failed to respond. Zardari said if Musharraf opted to face impeachment, the coalition has more than the requisite numbers for its success. He said in that case he would let it to the people to decide the future course whether to prosecute Musharraf or not on criminal charges.
Meanwhile, a coordination committee of the coalition decided to simultaneously convene sessions of all four provincial assemblies on Monday where similar resolution would be adopted. The president would be asked to honour his pledge made in an affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court on the eve of presidential election that he would seek confidence vote from the new assemblies after general elections. Musharraf got himself elected as president from outgoing assemblies on October six that was boycotted by the opposition questioning its constitutional validity. Responding to a challenge to his eligibility as a candidate and the validity of the election from dying whose outcome was predetermined even five years earlier through a constitutional amendment, Musharraf promised to revert to new assemblies for endorsement. However, the elections have threw up assemblies where his supporters are heavily outnumbered making it impossible for him to secure confidence vote.