Musharraf has agreed to quit army: Bhutto

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has agreed to doff his uniform in a power-sharing deal with self-exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.

"We are close to an agreement but we are still not there. However, the uniform issue has been resolved. Musharraf has agreed to resign as army chief," Bhutto told the paper in an interview published today.

"The uniform issue is key and there has been a lot of movement on it in the recent round of talks," the former Prime Minister said while referring to negotiations currently going on between "Musharraf's emissaries and her party" here.

Bhutto, who had recently met Musharraf in the UAE apparently to clinch a political arrangement to ensure her return home and his re-election, has consistently claimed that she wouldn't strike a deal with the President unless "he steps down as army chief".

There was no official confirmation on this from Musharraf's emissaries who are currently in Britain. The President had recently announced he would seek re-election in uniform from the present assemblies.

It may be mentioned that a leading Pakistani daily had also reported yesterday, quoting sources, that Musharraf had offered to doff his uniform even before the presidential polls slated for next month.

"In the trade-off, he wants all political parties to agree to re-elect him as President for the next five years after the formation of the new assemblies following general elections in the Islamic nation," The Dawn had reported yesterday.