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Islamabad: Pakistan's lower house of Parliament was set to convene Monday as the ruling coalition geared up to impeach President Pervez Musharraf.
Also Monday, provincial legislatures were to begin tabling resolutions calling on Musharraf to step down or face impeachment.
On Sunday, a spokesman for the president said Musharraf had a "clean track record" and will not resign - despite a rising clamor among the ruling parties and media for the US-backed leader to quit.
"Abdication is the only option," the Daily Times said in an editorial Monday.
Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999. But his foes swept elections in February to set up a new government and push the former army chief to the sidelines, just four months after he won a new five-year term in a controversial vote by the previous Parliament.
The coalition announced its impeachment plans last week and said it is preparing a "charge sheet" with allegations against Musharraf including violation of the constitution, economic mismanagement and political manipulation.
Ahsan Iqbal, spokesman for the second-largest coalition party, said the impeachment motion will be filed after the provincial assemblies have passed their resolutions, which could continue into next week.
No president has been impeached in Pakistan's turbulent 61-year history. The coalition claims it can get the two-thirds majority required in a joint sitting of both
houses in parliament to strip Musharraf of the presidency.
Although Musharraf's allies dispute that and have urged the longtime US ally to fight impeachment, they have advised the president against using his authority to dismiss Parliament and the prime minister.
Such moves would be contentious and require support from the army, which has indicated it wants to stay out of politics.
"Unless the president wants an opportunity to finally face the parliament ... and defend himself against the contents of the impeachment, he should call it quits," the Daily Times said.
In an interview published Sunday, ruling party chief Asif Ali Zardari accused Musharraf of misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars in US aid intended for the Pakistani military for supporting the war on terrorism.
"They claim it's been going in budget support, but that's not the answer. We're talking about US$700 million a year missing. The rest has been taken by 'Mush' for some scheme or other and we've got to find it," Zardari was quoted as telling Britain's Sunday Times.
Zardari claimed the American aid may have gone to fund rogue members of Pakistani intelligence - recently accused by US officials of supporting pro-Taliban militants fighting in Afghanistan.
In his reported comments, Zardari did not offer proof to support the allegations. Musharraf's spokesman could not immediately be reached Monday to respond to the report, which was carried on the front page of several Pakistani dailies.
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