Islamabad: In a major set back to embattled President Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan People's Party-led government has said it will "have to leave" the "unpopular" former military ruler if it is to survive in power.
The government will not change its policy towards Musharraf in spite of US President George Bush's support for the beleaguered leader. Bush had last week made a phone call expressing support for Musharraf in his "personal capacity" and it should not be taken as backing by the US government, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar has said.
The PPP leadership's top priority is "to save the government" even if it has to sacrifice its relationship with any person.
“If you have to survive, you have to leave the President. He is an unpopular leader," Mukhtar told the Dawn newspaper.
Mukhtar said if the President's powers to dissolve the parliament or to appoint governors and services chiefs are taken away as proposed in the constitutional reforms package, Musharraf might like to step down on his own.
Asked who could replace Musharraf, he said PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari would be the best choice even if the President's power to dissolve the parliament was "not" taken away. He added he was saying this because Zardari wouldbe the last man to sack his own party's government.
America's official policy was reflected by the Senators who during their recent visit to Pakistan called for the reinstatement of the deposed judges, a demand that irritated Musharraf, he noted.
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