The government will not change its policy towards Musharraf in spite of US President George Bush's support for the beleaguered leader.

Bush had last week made a phone call expressing support for Musharraf in his "personal capacity" and it should not be taken as backing by the US government, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar has said.

The PPP leadership's top priority is "to save the government" even if it has to sacrifice its relationship with any person.

"If you have to survive, you have to leave the President. He is an unpopular leader," Mukhtar told a newspaper.

Mukhtar said if the President's powers to dissolve the parliament or to appoint governors and services chiefs are taken away as proposed in the constitutional reforms package, Musharraf might like to step down on his own.

Asked who could replace Musharraf, he said PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari would be the best choice even if the President's power to dissolve the parliament was "not" taken away.

He added he was saying this because Zardari would be the last man to sack his own party's government.

America's official policy was reflected by the Senators who during their recent visit to Pakistan called for the reinstatement of the deposed judges, a demand that irritated Musharraf, he noted.

Asked about the PPP's obligations in return for the National Reconciliation Ordinance that was issued by Musharraf to scrap graft charges against slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, Mukhtar said the agreement between the PPP and the President was no longer "valid or useful" after Bhutto's assassination.

He also rejected as rumours the press reports that army chief Gen Parvez Kayani had asked President Musharraf to step down during a recent meeting.

"These were all rumours. The (army chief), who was reported to have told the President to quit had not said anything publicly, although he met the President again after the said meeting."

Kayani "is a very straight soldier and his policy of non-interference in civilian matters is very clear", Mukhtar said, rejecting reports that a foreign aircraft had come to Islamabad to take Musharraf and his family out of the country.

Mukhtar also said that if the President was deprived of all powers and reduced to a ceremonial figure, then anyone could be elevated to that post. He made it clear that the next President would belong to the PPP because it is the largest party in parliament.

Replying to a question on the demand that Musharraf should be tried for treason, Mukhtar said impeachment would suffice. "If he's the President, he can't be tried," he said.

Source: By DDNEWS