Islamabad, Oct 2: General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani was today named as the Vice Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army, and he will become its Chief after President Pervez Musharraf vacates the post.

According to Musharraf's lawyers, the President would vacate the post of Army Chief if he wins the October 6 Presidential elections, but ambiguity persists about the date when Musharraf would bequeath the top military post.

The News reported that General Kiani would assume charge as Vice Chief of the Army Staff on October 8, two days after the Presidential polls. However, the possible date for his elevation, and Musharraf's resignation in case of the latter's re-election as the country's President, has not been made.

Analyst believe that timing of naming Kiani as his successor is an attempt by Musharraf to assure his countrymen that he would relinquish the post of Army Chief once he is elected as the President of the country, as promised by him earlier.

Recipient of the Hilal-i-Imtiaz award or the "Crescent of Excellence," Pakistan's second highest civilian award, General Kiani was the chief of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2004 and played a crucial role in the talks between former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Musharraf.

He earned the President's confidence after a spate of assassination bid on the latter, and he is reported to have investigated those assassinations, and detained many terrorists.

Kiani is reported as a "smart, tough, talented commander, who is and pro-Western".

The son of an Army NCO, he climbed rapidly through military ranks after he joined Pakistan Army in 1970. He was also Deputy Military Secretary to Bhutto, when she became Prime Minister for the first time in 1988.

He was promoted to Lieutenant General rank in 2003 and was made Corps Commander of the powerful X Corps at Rawalpindi.

Tuesday also witnessed significant military appointments as General Tariq Majid, also in the contention for the top post, was named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC).

General Majid, who joined Pakistan Army in 1971, will replace existing Chairman of JCSC General Ehsanul Haq, from whom he will be taking charge on October 8.

Meanwhile, in a significant move, Pakistan Cabinet dropped all corruption charges against Benazir Bhutto, whose party will have a crucial meeting on Wednesday in London to decide the party's stand in the forthcoming Presidential and general polls.

Pakistan's opposition parties under the banner of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) today submitted their resignations to National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain.

A total of 85 opposition members tendered their resignations including 62 of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, 20 of PML-N and a member each from PTI, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and JUI Fazl-e-Karim.

Their resignation comes as a last ditch effort to annul the October 6 Presidential polls after the Pakistan Supreme Court upheld Musharraf's candidature for his re-election bid. (ANI)