Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf bid farewell to his fellow commanders yesterday, a day before he steps down as army chief to restore Pakistan to civilian rule.
Former premier Nawaz Sharif, the man Musharraf ousted in a 1999 coup, said Musharraf's removal from the army would make "a lot of difference," but insisted the president do much more to end Pakistan's political crisis.
A guard of honor of about 150 army, navy and air force personnel stood to attention as Musharraf arrived at the army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
The colonial-style complex contains Musharraf's own office, from where he has administered Pakistan since ousting Sharif's government in a 1999 coup.
A military band played the national anthem as a grim-faced Musharraf, wearing a green-and-white sash over his uniform and with a row of medals pinned to his chest, inspected the troops on a small parade ground.
He held a brief closed-door meeting with other senior commanders, then traveled to the head offices of the navy and air force in the nearby capital, Islamabad.
He made no comment to reporters allowed to watch some of the events.
Musharraf has faced growing opposition since March, when he tried unsuccessfully to fire the country's top judge.
The turmoil intensified when he declared emergency rule earlier this month and launched a crackdown on critics in the opposition.
The general has reshuffled the court judges and obtained a Supreme Court ruling validating his victory in a disputed presidential election last month.
Musharraf now faces strong criticism from two key opponents - Sharif and Benazir Bhutto - both former prime ministers who have returned from exile in time for parliamentary elections slated for January 8.
Sharif and Bhutto both registered on Monday to run in the election but, like other smaller opposition groups, they have threatened to boycott the vote to undermine its legitimacy.
Aides to Musharraf have announced that he will retire today as chief of Pakistan's army, whose generals have ruled the country for most of its 60-year history.
General Ashfaq Kayani, a former chief of the country's powerful intelligence service and close associate of Musharraf, is to replace him.
Kayani is widely expected to maintain the Pakistan army's pro-Western policies and a government spokesman said yesterday that the switch would bring no change in Pakistan's determination to fighting terrorism.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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