WASHINGTON, April 7: More than 100 Washington lawyers have signed a petition asking President Gen Pervez Musharraf to resign as army chief and hold free elections, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The petition drive was initiated by a 57-year Pakistani-American lawyer, Asif Shah, and was backed by 106 prominent members of the DC Bar Association.

Mr Shah told the Post that something “snapped” in him when he watched demonstrations erupt after military authorities suspended the chief justice and the government unleashed an intimidation campaign against the media.

“We wanted to play a part, however small, in the struggle to bring the rule of law to our country,” said Mr Shah, who represents abused children and troubled teenagers in the DC Superior Court.

The Post notes that until recently, President Gen Musharraf was viewed as an asset to Pakistan’s image abroad. “His government has arrested several hundred suspected Al Qaeda figures, and the charismatic general was often described as an honest reformer and a moderate Muslim opposed to Islamic fundamentalism.”