Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, today bowed to intense pressure and resigned ahead of impeachment proceedings due to start this week.
Musharraf appeared live on national television just after 1pm local time (8am BST) in an address that lasted for over an hour. Towards the finish, as the former army commander put an end to almost nine years in power, his voice trembled and he appeared to have tears in his eyes.
"If I was doing this just for myself, I might have chosen a different course," he said, wearing a western suit and tie but speaking in Urdu. "But I put Pakistan first, as always.
"Whether I win or lose the impeachment, the dignity of the nation would be damaged, the office of the president harmed."
It is likely that Musharraf stepped down as a part of a western-mediated deal between the president and the coalition government, according to which all charges against him will be dropped in return for his resignation.
It was a humiliation nevertheless for the ex-army chief to have to submit to the very politicians he hated. But he admitted he had been left with no choice.
"Even if I beat this impeachment, relations between the presidency and the government can never be fixed," he said. "Pillars of the state – parliament and the judiciary – would be harmed and, God forbid, the army might have been dragged in." He said he wanted the people to be his judge.
The foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said leaders of the ruling coalition were discussing whether to prosecute Musharraf in court on the impeachment charges.
Qureshi would not say whether Musharraf might be granted a safe exit; there has been speculation he might go into exile in Saudi Arabia or Turkey.
"That is a decision that has to be taken by the democratic leadership," said Qureshi, a member of the Pakistan People's party (PPP), in a television interview with Dawn News.
The Pakistan Muslim League-N, the second-biggest party in the coalition government with the PPP, said Musharraf should be tried for treason, which carries a maximum sentence of death.
Its leader, Nawaz Sharif, whom Musharraf deposed as prime minister in a coup in October 1999, was the prime mover behind the impeachment.
"The crimes of Musharraf against the nation, against the judiciary, against democracy and against rule of law in the country cannot be forgiven by any party or individual," said the party's spokesman, Ahsan Iqbal.
Musharraf, who was an almost absolute ruler until he stepped down as army chief in November last year and held elections this February, did not leave without first launching into an impassioned and lengthy defence of his record. He said the allegations against him were "lies".
Musharraf laid the blame for Pakistan's economic crisis squarely on the current government, saying that just eight months ago the economy was booming and Pakistan was regarded as one of the next great emerging market success stories.
"When I took over, nine years ago, this country was on the verge of being declared a terrorist state, on the verge of becoming a failed state," he said. "The challenges of the last nine years have been greater than any in Pakistan's history, yet I have met those challenges."
Celebrations broke out across the country after Musharraf's announcement, with people dancing and handing out sweets.
"Thank God he's resigned. The country will do much better now. It's a victory for the people," said Mohammad Ilyas, 30, in Karachi.
Lawyers, who have spearheaded an anti-Musharraf campaign since he tried to sack the chief justice last year, stormed out of courts in the south-eastern city of Multan on hearing of his resignation, shouting: "Down with the American stooge."
"It's just like I'm celebrating my wedding," said one lawyer, Malik Naveed.
It is not yet clear who the next president will be. According to the constitution, the chairman of the senate, Mohammadmian Soomro, will become acting president until a new president is elected within 30 days for a five-year term.
Most members of the coalition government did not want to go through the trauma of impeachment proceedings, hoping that the threat of prosecution would be enough to persuade the president to go. Musharraf held out for almost two weeks after the announcement that the government had decided to impeach him. His resignation came a few hours ahead of the scheduled start of formal parliamentary proceedings.
Reza Rabbani, a leading PPP member, said: "This is the first time in Pakistan's political history where you have the people winning against establishment institutions."
Another PPP spokeswoman, Farzana Raja, said Musharraf's resignation was "a victory for all democratic forces" and for "Benazir Bhutto and all those who sacrificed their lives for democracy". Bhutto was assassinated on December 27 while campaigning in parliamentary and provincial elections.
Pakistan's army, which has ruled the country for more than half its tumultuous history, had quietly told Musharraf it would not back him if he decided to fight the impeachment, stripping him of the only backing that might have saved him.
Similarly, close allies such as the US, Britain and Saudi Arabia indicated to the president it was time for him to go. Those international allies are thought to have put pressure on the Pakistani government to let him resign before impeachment.
