Musharraf Losing Power

Musharraf met with Pakistan's army chief as a number of hand picked appointees of Musharraf's were transferred from their military posts. So Musharraf is just about cornered now, he does not control the parliament and even the military is against him. Time is running out for Musharraf. BBC

President Pervez Musharraf has met Pakistan's army chief, Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, amid growing concerns over political and economic problems.

An army spokesman also confirmed reports that some key military officials hand-picked by President Musharraf have been transferred.

Mr Musharraf has resisted calls by his political rivals, who won in February's elections, to resign.

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The report said the army had also removed a Musharraf loyalist from the command of the Rawalpindi-based 111 Brigade, which defence analysts say would play an important role in any military takeover or the sacking of a civilian government.

The army had also replaced a security contingent of President Musharraf that was hand-picked by him, it said.

'Relic of the past'

The moves come as President Musharraf faces stiffening resistance from the judges he sacked on 3 November when he imposed emergency rule in the country.

They are supported by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which emerged as the second largest party in February's elections and now shares power with the country's largest party, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

The PML-N pulled out of the federal cabinet earlier this month when the PPP refused to agree to restore the sacked judges without constitutional reforms to back the move.

Its leaders blamed the PPP for being soft on President Musharraf and favouring a working relationship with him.

But in a rare outburst last week, PPP chief Asif Zardari called Mr Musharraf a "relic of the past", and someone who stood "between the people and democracy".