Why musharraf resigns

To Read the Full Story. Subscribe Sign In. Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership. Resume Subscription We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. Please click confirm to resume now. Sponsored Offers. Musharraf spent a large part of his speech delivering a state-of-the-union style list of Pakistan's "accomplishments" under his rule.

He contrasted it with what he called the deteriorating economic situation now. A personal vendetta was started. A coalition committee spent last week compiling a list of charges against Musharraf including corruption, economic mismanagement and violating the constitution. Parliament was expected to consider an impeachment motion Monday or Tuesday.

Whatever I have done, I have done it for Pakistan. Faisal Kapadia, a commodities trader in Karachi who runs a blog about Pakistan called Deadpan Thoughts, said Musharraf's decision would get a mixed reaction. And he still has some supporters -- especially because the new government, which promised to do things differently, has failed to do much in the past days in power. Musharraf grabbed power in He was serving as military chief when then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dismissed him, setting off a confrontation.

As Musharraf was returning from an overseas visit in October , Sharif refused to allow the commercial airliner with passengers on board to land. Within hours the army had deposed Sharif in a bloodless coup, and the plane was allowed to touch down with only 10 minutes of fuel left. Talat Masood, a political analyst. During his rule, Pakistan attained respectable growth rates and established a generally favorable investment climate. Along with that came a growing middle class, a more aggressive media, and a more assertive judiciary.

But, analysts say, Musharraf never lost his military mindset. After the September 11, , terrorist attacks in the United States, Musharraf found himself on the frontline of the 'war on terror. Pakistan had long supported the Taliban as they battled for control of Afghanistan in s, in the aftermath of the Soviet pull out.

But after the attacks, Musharraf aligned himself with the U. Musharraf laid the blame for Pakistan's economic crisis squarely on the current government, saying that just eight months ago the economy was booming and Pakistan was regarded as one of the next great emerging market success stories. Celebrations broke out across the country after Musharraf's announcement, with people dancing and handing out sweets. The country will do much better now. It's a victory for the people," said Mohammad Ilyas, 30, in Karachi.

Lawyers, who have spearheaded an anti-Musharraf campaign since he tried to sack the chief justice last year, stormed out of courts in the south-eastern city of Multan on hearing of his resignation, shouting: "Down with the American stooge.

It is not yet clear who the next president will be. According to the constitution, the chairman of the senate, Mohammadmian Soomro, will become acting president until a new president is elected within 30 days for a five-year term.

Most members of the coalition government did not want to go through the trauma of impeachment proceedings, hoping the threat of prosecution would be enough to persuade the president to go. Musharraf held out for almost two weeks after the announcement that the government had decided to impeach him.