US lawmakers warn against impeaching President

NEW YORK—A US senator who recently visited Pakistan with a Congressional delegation has warned against any attempt to impeach President Pervez Musharraf as such a course could destabilize the country.
“The U.S. should caution Pakistani leaders to consider the consequences carefully,” Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said in an opinion piece in a major American newspaper, noting the talk about removing him with impeachment proceedings.
“Impeachment could destabilize Pakistan and postpone work that must be done to establish an independent judiciary, crack down on terrorists, and jump-start development,” wrote Ms. Hutchison in The Wall Street Journal. The senator was a member of delegation which observed the Feb. 18 elections and certified them as free and fair. It was led by Joseph Biden, a Democrat who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Stating that all of Pakistan’s leaders — President Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif — are flawed, Sen. Hutchison said they have redeeming qualities as well.
“Mr. Musharraf loosened his grip on power, took off his military uniform, and allowed fair parliamentary elections. He also conceded defeat on election day. He has been a partner in the war on terror. He believes that, above all else, Islamist extremists must be defeated. He is willing to defer to the new parliamentary majority and possibly to step down or slip into a ceremonial and advisory role,” she wrote in her article, entitled, “Pakistan’s Progress.”
“Mr. Musharraf must be allowed enough room to peacefully transition to a strong democracy, and to figure out how to exit the stage with the grace of a leader who recognizes the will of the people.” About new coalition parners’ suggestion that it might de-emphasize military operations against terrorists in the tribal areas and instead have dialogue, economic development, and political enfranchisement, she said, “These comments concern many of us who take this as a sign that Pakistani efforts against the terrorists might further flag.
“But the emphasis on providing services to the population — from security to running water — in order to win their participation in the political life of the state is fundamental to starving extremists of popular support. The Islamist parties’ dismal showing in the recent election suggests that this strategy may already be working,” the senator said.
“As long as Pakistan’s leaders support democracy and practice it, we will be their enthusiastic partner. Our security depends on helping them improve internal security and the rule of law, which are prerequisites of popular legitimacy for any government and essential for foreign investment.”—Agencies