Musharraf to quit army this month

By STEPHEN GRAHAM and MATTHEW PENNINGTON, Associated Press Writers 2 hours, 27 minutes ago

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said for the first time Wednesday that he expects to quit as chief of Pakistan's army by the end of November, heralding a return to civilian rule.

But in an interview with The Associated Press, he also rejected U.S. pressure to quickly end a state of emergency and a demand from opposition leader Benazir Bhutto that he leave the political stage altogether.

Musharraf, wearing a dark business suit rather than his military uniform, said rising Islamic militancy required him to stay in control of the troubled nation but he left the door open for future cooperation with Bhutto if she wins January parliamentary elections.

He said his government "would prefer to engage with all the foreign concerns and tell them our difficulties so that they understand."

"But basically my concern is Pakistan," Musharraf said. "I take decisions in Pakistan's interest and I don't take ultimatums from anyone." READ MORE

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