Mush`s fate hangs in balance as Pak coalition meets to decide successor

After quitting as the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf now faces an uncertain future.

The former Army Chief announced his exit in a televised address on Monday to avoid the threat of impeachment charges by the ruling PPP-PML(N) coalition government, nine years after he grabbed power in a bloodless military coup.

Speculation swirled that Musharraf's decision came after a deal brokered by Pakistan's powerful military and the United States to avoid criminal charges, but it remained unclear where he would spend his retirement.

Where�s Mush headed?

Musharraf is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia soon with his family to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca, following which he will decide whether to live outside Pakistan.

Reports said today that Musharraf will remain in the country for some time before travelling to Saudi Arabia. He does not want to give the impression that he is fleeing the country to avoid charges that were levelled against him by the coalition.

After announcing his resignation during a televised address yesterday, Musharraf left the Presidency in the heart of Islamabad and went to his camp office in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi, where he is expected to stay for a few days.

Following his trip to Saudi Arabia for Umra, a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time of the year, Musharraf will spend some time outside Pakistan. This could include a trip to the US to see members of his close family, a source said.

Musharraf's younger brother Naved, a doctor, lives in Chicago, while his son Bilal has a residence in Boston.

A senior coalition official said that Musharraf might also head to London or Turkey, but his aides insisted he would return after his religious duties in the Gulf Kingdom.

Reports have suggested that Musharraf resigned following an agreement with the ruling coalition, which would provide him security and not try him after declaring any of his actions as unconstitutional.

The US, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani are guarantors to the agreement.

Musharraf initially wanted to stay in Pakistan and demanded protection from the government but changed his mind after his close aides convinced him that he might never be safe in the country.