Islamabad, Aug. 13: Rumours swirled that Pervez Musharraf would resign soon after Pakistan celebrates independence day tomorrow, but his office issued a denial.

“Newspapers in Pakistan, I’m afraid, dream up things then start writing about them. There’s no such thing,” said Musharraf’s spokesperson, Major General (retd) Rashid Qureshi. The Daily Times had cited an unidentified politician from a pro-Musharraf party as saying he would announce a decision to quit tomorrow.

In an address to Pakistan tonight, Musharraf did not rule out resignation and said the nation needed stability and a reconciliatory approach.

Pressure has been mounting on Musharraf to resign or face impeachment — the Sindh Assembly today asked him to step down, becoming the third of Pakistan’s four provinces to do so in a week. The President was in front of the TV on August 7, watching possibly the worst moment in his eight-year rule unfold when Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif announced they would impeach him. The two are part of the ruling coalition.

Later, he discussed the matter with friends, aides and family. Brigadier (retd) Niaz and Tariq Aziz, the secretary of the National Security Council, were the first friends who found him seeking a safe exit, sources said. It is not immediately clear if a deal for “safe passage” has been struck, but media reports said: “Musharraf would not be held responsible for past misdeeds and would be allowed to walk away scot-free”.

The sources said he is likely to demand an opportunity to address the nation. He wants to stay at his Chak Shehzad farmhouse in Islamabad initially, but might leave Pakistan after a couple of months.

Zardari said on TV he had asked Musharraf to resign two months ago. Asked why the President has stayed put, he replied: “He has not done politics. He may consider himself a master tactician — that is a tactician of war, not a tactician of politics.”