Pakistan violence flares after Musharraf resigns

updated 10:51 a.m. ET Aug. 19, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Leaders of Pakistan's ruling coalition met Tuesday to discuss who should succeed Pervez Musharraf as president, while a bombing outside a hospital and clashes with militants killed dozens and underscored the challenges facing the country.

The potentially divisive issues on the agenda include what to do with Musharraf after nearly nine years in power and how to restore judges fired by the former leader in a desperate attempt to cling to power.

The retired army general resigned Monday in the face of impeachment threats from the fragile ruling coalition, which is packed with his foes. He is believed to be in his army-guarded residence near the capital, Islamabad.

How the government deals with his succession — and whether it leads to a power struggle — is a looming question at a critical time. The militant threat is spreading in Pakistan's northwest, but the country also faces soaring inflation, chronic power shortages and a host of other economic problems.

'No deal'
Law Minister Farooq Naek said Tuesday that the government had not struck an immunity deal with Musharraf, though supporters and foes suggested he had sought guarantees that he would not face criminal prosecution or be forced into exile.

"There is no deal with the president, and he had himself resigned," Naek told reporters.

Musharraf did not specify his plans during his emotional farewell speech on Monday, saying only that his future was in the hands of the people. But local media reports have suggested he might leave the country for security reasons — he is despised by Islamist militants — and is widely unpopular among ordinary Pakistanis.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States were being discussed as potential havens.

"He should not be allowed to leave," said Sadiqul Farooq, spokesman for the coalition's second-largest party, which has accused the former president of treason. "He should be tried for his crimes."

Infighting
Pakistan's president is elected by lawmakers, a process that is supposed to be completed within 30 days.

Analysts say earlier infighting over Musharraf's future and the mechanics of bringing back judges he sacked late last year had distracted the government from tackling important issues.

"The coalition will now have to apply themselves because they will have no excuse," said Talat Masood, a prominent political commentator. "The problems and challenges the country faces are enormous and they cannot afford to lose any further time."

Some ordinary Pakistanis doubted Tuesday that the government would measure up.

"Yesterday they fired gun shots in the air to celebrate Musharraf's resignation. That seems crazy to me," said Zubair Khan, a 25-year-old motorcycle mechanic.

"People do not realize that they (rulers) have no spirit to serve the people," he said. "At the end of the day, they stuff their foreign bank accounts with all the looted money they earn while in power."

Musharraf seized control of the government in a 1999 coup and dominated Pakistan for years, supporting the U.S. in the war on terror. Pakistanis blamed rising violence in the country on his alliance with Washington.

For many, the final straw came last year when Musharraf imposed emergency rule and sacked dozens of judges who could challenge his rule — one of the key topics facing ruling coalition leaders on Tuesday.

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