The question is whether that will make things better or not. The proposed move mirrors the steps taken by the last military dictator, General Zia-ul Haq, who in 1985 strengthened his powers as president before appointing a civilian prime minister. Although Gen Musharraf is widely regarded as a moderate, there has been growing disenchantment with his regime. What began as a bold agenda for reform has dissipated. Pakistan's economy continues to struggle, reliant on securing short-term loans from the International Monetary Fund and rolling over foreign debt repayments.
Inflation is rampant while attempts to improve tax collection have provoked riots.
An anti-corruption drive lost credibility after the deposed prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, went into exile in December. Although the military insisted he would face corruption trials, Mr Sharif was pardoned and allowed to leave for Saudi Arabia in an apparent attempt to clean out opposition to the army rule. The regime has long threatened to crack down on militant religious groups which are involved in sectarian violence, and in the guerrilla war in Kashmir. But there has been resistance from conservative quarters of the army and the Inter-Services intelligence agency, which is still involved in the Kashmir campaign. Now the general's priority is to ensure that the next government endorses his coup and provides a legal cover for all the steps taken since the army came to power.