Aug 17, 2008
Report: Musharraf to Resign on Monday and Head to Saudi for Three Month Exile
Newsweek reports, based on conversations with unnamed close aides (past and present) to Musharraf, that:
The reporters, Ron Moreau and Fasih Ahmed, are pretty good.
Moreau has been covering Pakistan for quite some time and teams up with some of Pakistan’s best journalists.
Ahmed has been writing for Pakistani and U.S. publications for several years. He has also written many pro-Musharraf opinion columns in the Daily Times. He’s involved in his family business, the Associated Group. His father, Iqbal Z. Ahmed, is a prominent businessman and very close to Musharraf. In fact, he has served as a negotiator for Musharraf and was recently accused of trying to buy defections from the PPP. So Fasih’s personal connections could provide access to Musharraf’s inner circle. And while a Musharraf partisan would promote the idea that the president is still putting up a fight, even if he were not, Ahmed instead does the exact opposite, lending credibility to the piece.
While support for Musharraf has almost completely vanished and his exit seems imminent, there are still denials coming from Rashid Qureshi.
For example, the Newsweek story you reference, also says:
“Your source is a liar,” retired Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi, a presidential spokesman, told NEWSWEEK when asked about the president’s resignation and possible flight into exile. “The information you have is absolutely untrue.”
Yes. But Rashid Qureshi is the last line of defense. He will never say it’s over till Musharraf is on the plane. That’s his job.
Anyway, this story could be bunk like all the other ones. But given the imminence of the charge sheet introduction…and how so many power brokers don’t want the process to even begin, I would say the prospects of Musharraf departing on Monday or Tuesday morning are very high.