London, Sept 20 : British newspaper The Guardian has expressed doubt over how long Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf would be able to survive as a civilian President, after his undertaking to the Supreme Court that he would give up his army post if “re-elected.”

The daily raised this question in view of what it believes to be the President’s lack of any natural political constituency, and also because his recent political actions, which have made him unpopular in the country, the Dawn reported.

In its editorial, the paper says Musharraf has been reluctant to end his military rule because it would mean abandoning his only source of power. There is view that “if he leaves the army, he loses operational control over it and with it the ability to contain dissent.”

It goes on to say that Musharraf would have to cross two major hurdles to ensure a smooth passage to a second presidential term.

He would first have to get past the Supreme Court which is hearing a number of petitions challenging his right to contest the election in uniform from the current assemblies, and secondly, he would have to contest the polls in the face of a determined attempt by opposition parties to render the vote invalid by resigning en masse. (With inputs from ANI)