Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf resigns

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan announced his resignation on Monday, after nine years in office.

Musharraf, a close ally to the Bush Administration in the "war on terror," spoke to his nation by television from his presidential office at 1 p.m.

Back at home, Mushararaf is facing impeachment charges and he positioned as resignation as a move to help heal the country. "I have decided to resign today," he said, to put national interest above "personal bravado."

"Whether I win or lose the impeachment, the nation will lose," he said, promising not to drag the country through an impeachment process.

Musharaff, 65. also accused of enemies of lying about him but questioned their motives. "They don't realize they can succeed against me but the country will undergo irreparable damage," he said.

A four-month-old coalition government will choose a new president by a vote of the Parliament and provincial assemblies, according to the New York Times.

The Times reported there were "intense concerns" in Washington that Musharraf's departure might open a "new era of instability in the nuclear-armed country of 165 million people."

The constitution requires a new president to be chosen within 30 days and Musharraf has said he will remain in his position in the interim.

Musharraf came to power in a "bloodless coup" in October 1999, that removed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had picked Musharraf to head the army. After Sharif had ordered Musharraf to be fired, Musharraf denied landing rights to Shariff's plane as the prime minister was flying home from a trip to Sri Lanka.

His official bio makes no mention of the coup. "He performed his duties as the Chief Executive of Pakistan from 12th October 1999 to the time he became President," the bio says. Last November, Musharraf retired from position as the head of the army and became president.

A month later, his chief rival, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated.

Musharraf ran into trouble in his country in 2001 after he chose to side with the U.S. in the war in Afghanistan, according to Associated Press reporter Matthew Pennington. "The former military commando's decision to side with Washington after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks earned Western plaudits and an injection of much-needed aid that helped rescue Pakistan from bankruptcy and the status of an international pariah," writes Pennington.

"But that alliance also triggered an explosion in Islamic militancy in his homeland. Combined with his fumbled efforts to stay in power as democracy returned to Pakistan, he leaves the presidency now reviled by many of his countrymen," according to Pennington.

Pakistan is a Muslim country that celebrated the 61st anniversary of its independence from Britain last Thursday.