A number of retired chiefs of the Pakistan army, air force and navy have asked President Pervez Musharraf [Images] to step down and pave the way for restoring democracy.

'General (retired)Pervez Musharraf does not represent the unity and the symbol of the federation as President,' Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, an organisation working for the welfare of retired military personnel, said.

'He should resign from his office of the president and this is in the supreme national interest and makes it incumbent on him to step down,' it said in a statement.

Apart from the retired service chiefs, dozens of former commanders and some retired junior commissioned officers, who met in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Tuesday, blamed Musharraf for the current crisis in Pakistan and asked him to step down.

The society is headed by Lt Gen (retired) Faiz Ali Chishti, once a key member of late Gen Zia-ul-Haq's regime. Former army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg and former ISI chief Lt Gen Hamid Gul also attended the meeting. The ex-servicemen said an impartial, effective, independent and credible Election Commission should be appointed after consultations with all political parties.

They also appreciated army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani's directive to serving officers to abstain from taking part in political activities.