Islamabad, June 6 :Vehemently denying the rumours that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s days are numbered, his spokesman said that Musharraf is safely installed at the Presidency and that he is not in a hurry to pack his bags sensing his ouster.

“This is absolute lies. He’s not packed even his golf bag,” said spokesman at the Presidency Rashid Qureshi.

A series of political tirades, aggressive news reports and changes to sensitive army positions have fuelled speculation that Musharraf is considering retirement. The talk has hit the streets, where rumours are rife of frenetic bag packing and a newly arrived jet to whisk the President into foreign retirement. Stock prices dived last week on the back of the rumours.

But, his spokesman and a long time close aide dismissed this all.

Qureshi also rejected fresh demands by the Ex-Servicemen's Association that Musharraf should stand trial for treason, saying: “They represent a minuscule percentage of officers. It’s all a rumour factory now.”

But, according to The Guardian, despite Quereshi’s denial of the rumours, Musharraf faces a widening array of enemies, including several powerful figures. PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari, recently floated reforms that would strip Musharraf of his powers. The increasingly popular Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by Musharraf in 1999, issued an emotional outburst calling him a "traitor".

Adding to Musharraf's problems are Pakistan's lawyers, who plan to march on parliament next week. If that fails to dislodge the president, they say, the group will converge on his house. The strife is distracting the government from pressing issues, such as a flagging economy. Musharraf's military comrades may also be losing patience.

Meanwhile, father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme Dr AQ Khan, who was freed two weeks ago, claimed Musharraf had turned the country into a "banana republic". One government minister told the Guardian that such comments could be made only with military approval.

Talat Hussain, a television commentator who earlier estimated Musharraf would last “two months – maximum”, said: “The pressure is mounting on him. The Army is really putting its cards on the table.” (ANI)