ISLAMABAD, March 7: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has decided to shift to the presidency in Islamabad by the end of this month. The president has finally decided to leave Rawalpindi , as his stay there is causing great inconvenience to the public because of extraordinary security arrangements being made for him after two attempts on his life, official sources confirmed.

The official sources said the CDA was putting finishing touches to the living quarters and the offices in the presidency. The president, who has entered into an agreement with MMA to lay down his uniform on or before December 31, 2004, is also shifting the General Headquarters to Islamabad.

The construction work on GHQ in Sector E-11 is already underway. Justice (retd) Rafiq Tarar was the last president who occupied the presidency before he was asked to leave the house, in July 2001, at least about 18 months before the completion of his five-year term.

The first president to live in the presidency was Ghulam Ishaq Khan. He completed his five-year term there but could not get a second term. He was followed by Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, but he too had to leave the presidency at least about a year before he could complete his five-year term.