Musharraf ‘to attend Olympics’

Reversal of plan comes despite fears of impeachment of Pakistan president.

Pakistan
Coalition leaders are split on the question of the president's political fate [AFP]

Pakistan and China are close military and political allies.

Musharraf had abruptly cancelled a trip to China in the early hours of Wednesday, after Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the leaders of Pakistan’s coalition government, reportedly agreed during talks a day earlier to oust him if he would not quit.

Zardari and Sharif concluded two days of talks on Thursday. Local media had reported that during the first day of talks on Tuesday, they had agreed to formally ask Musharraf to quit and then impeach him through parliament if he refused.
  
Reports also said they were spurred into action by fears that Musharraf may act first and dissolve parliament.

‘No panic’

But Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, a close ally of Musharraf, said that there was no concern in the presidential camp.
  
“We will fully defend any impeachment motion,” he said.

“There is no panic and everything  is normal in our camp.”
   
Musharraf has resisted growing pressure to quit in recent weeks, saying he was willing to work with the coalition to tackle problems such the ongoing conflict in the country’s tribal areas, as well as soaring food and fuel prices.
  
The coalition has been split by the twin issues of what to do about Musharraf and how to carry out their pledge to reinstate senior judges sacked by the president under emergency rule.

Source: News Agencies