Musharraf to face impeachment

Pakistan's government has announced plans to impeach Pervez Musharraf, the country's president who seized power in a military coup. The announcement is a breakthrough for the fragile coalition government, which has been able to agree on very little since it was formed earlier this year. To make it stick, Musharraf will have to be shown to be guilty of gross misconduct or of subverting the constitution. His supension of the country's top judges last year may well form the case against him.

Musharraf is said to have told his supporters that he will fight agains the impeachment. As he debated his next move yesterday, he cancelled his mooted trip to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

It remains to be seen how the army will respond to the annoucement. Until recently, Musharraf was head of the army as well as president, and the army has always been loyal to him.