Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf will give up his post of army chief if he is re-elected president, his lawyer told Pakistan's Supreme Court today.
His lawyer, who was speaking during a hearing into challenges against Gen Musharraf's rule, said the Pakistani leader would serve a new term as a civilian.
The promise to stand down as army chief removes a major objection to Gen Musharraf's proposed re-election by October 15th. He retained his army post after seizing power in a 1999 coup despite opposition calls to resign.
Giving up the army role is likely to dilute Gen Musharraf's power in a country that has been ruled by generals for more than half the 60 years since it was founded.
But it could also help him cement a power-sharing agreement with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto that could enable him to overcome growing opposition to his continued rule.
Ms Bhutto has said that any arrangement with Gen Musharraf would depend, among other things, on him becoming a civilian president.
The date of a presidential election is expected to be announced this week, and a national election is due by mid-January.