Down, but not out: Does Mush have any option now?

New Delhi: It's easy to kick a man when he's down and at this point President Pervez Musharraf is down. His critics are on a high, they say his track record in the last eight years ultimately brought him down.

The Pakistan's election results have come as the worst possible news for Musharraf. With his political detractors on a high, the former general now faces political oblivion.

"Considering his internal and external support, I don't think he really was able to do as much as he should have. He remained more or less a military leader of sort; and did not see things beyond. And I think that was one of his great shortcomings, unfortunately," Defence Analyst, Lt Gen Talat Masood, says.

And as it looks increasingly certain that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari will hold the keys to the next Parliament in Pakistan, Musharraf is now busy mulling his options as there are not the results that the Pakistan President ever wanted.

Musharraf's prospects at this point don't look good. A Sharif-Zardari coalition could be deadly for Pervez Musharraf and they could demand that he resign forthwith.

And if Musharraf refuses to do so, it could result in an impeachment process with all its attendant political consequences. Musharraf could also build on his understanding with Benazir and seek Zardari's support.

Or he could threaten to dissolve the Parliament as he has the power to do so. But to deal with the politicians in the streets, Musharraf will need the support from the Army.

And the Army, at the most, may be prepared to talk to the politicians to ensure an easy exit for Musharraf.

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Over the years, Musharraf has gone down on popularity count for various reasons. He was blamed for being too close to the US in the war on terror and conversely he was also blamed for two ceasefires that he struck with the Taliban.

The Pakistan President also faced criticism for undermining the judicial independence and tampering with the Constitution to give himself a second term.

For the aam Pakistani, however, it was price rise, unemployment and terrorism that impacted their daily lives.

"Pervez Musharraf has ruled for eight years, but the outcome has only been price hikes, lawlessness, terrorism and bomb blasts," says a man on a Lahore street.

"Before the polls they come and tell us that they will bring electricity to our village; they will provide us with water and gas. But once they get the votes they never come back in this direction again," a Pakistani villager complains.

Musharraf could be impeached if his detractors take control of the National Assembly. Or he could opt for an early exit as he has hinted in the past. But he has always been a fighter and fighters are not known to give up without a good fight.