According to them, Muhsarraf had hinted that he would shed his uniform just after the Supreme Court dismisses the legal petitions filed to challenge his candidature as a presidential candidate.

As the apex court has rejected five out of six legal challenges to his continued rule and Musharraf has promised to resign from the post of the Army Chief, it would be right time for him to do so, sources added.

"The indications are that he will take off his uniform either by Thursday or by the end of the week, " Zahid Hussain, the Times correspondent in Islamabad claimed.

The newly appointed judges of the Supreme Court will be hearing the remaining one petition later this week.

The apex court's decision to uphold Musharraf's election was on the expected lines, after the General imposed emergency on November 3 and immediately sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

A decision in his favour next Thursday would be decisive; The Australian quoted Mohammed ali-Saif, a member of the President's legal team, as saying.

"The court ruling has cleared the way for Musharraf to continue in power for another five-year term, " he said.

Critics believe that Musharraf had engineered the apex court ruling, as he had already removed the unbiased judges from the Supreme Court bench, and had appointed his loyal judges in their place.

However, this is not the first time when Musharraf has promised to doff his uniform. In past, he did not fulfil his promises to do so. (ANI)