Pakistan's Attorney-General, Malik Mohammad Qayyum, says President Pervez Musharraf will step down as army chief by December 1. Mr Qayyum's announcement came as General Musharraf worked on the make-up of a caretaker government to take the country through to elections, promised by early January.
The announcement also came as two boys were killed by gunfire during a protest by supporters of detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the first such deaths under a state of emergency declared by General Musharraf.
General Musharraf has been facing growing international pressure to shed his uniform, which he has kept since seizing power in a coup in 1999, end emergency rule and allow a free and fair vote.
"The president has said he will give up his uniform before December 1," Mr Qayyum told a news conference.
Mr Qayyum said he expected the Supreme Court to rule by that time on the legality of General Musharraf's October 6 re-elections. General Musharraf has previously said he will wait for the verdict before he steps down as army chief of staff.
Critics say jitters over the likely court ruling led to General Musharraf imposing the state of emergency on November 3.
Mr Qayyum said the caretaker government would take an oath on Friday morning after the dissolution of the outgoing Parliament - the first to complete a full five-year term in Pakistan's history.
The current parliament dissolves at a minute before midnight Thursday night (local time).
General Musharraf's own term officially ends at midnight but as incumbent, he will remain in office until the court decision.
"In the constitution the incumbent will continue until the next president takes oath," Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azeem said. "That is only a common-sense approach, you cannot have the office lying vacant."
Opposition party leaders, most of them in detention, exiled or under house arrest, are considering boycotting the polls, saying they can be neither free nor fair under emergency rule.
Ms Bhutto and another former premier, Nawaz Sharif, spoke by telephone about working together to oust General Musharraf, an alliance that would bring together two of the country's biggest opposition parties.
Another opposition politician, former cricket legend Imran Khan, was moved to Lahore's biggest prison earlier after being charged under anti-terrorism laws for protesting against emergency rule.
In Karachi, police official Fayyaz Khan said that during a protest against Ms Bhutto's house arrest, "somebody among the demonstrators opened fire and two boys aged around 11 or 12 were killed".
A spokesman from Ms Bhutto's party denied any of its supporters had opened fire and suggested the involvement of undercover police. © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
