FACTBOX: No easy options after Musharraf impeachment move

By Zeeshan Haider

(Reuters) - Pakistan's ruling coalition led by the party of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto will move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf nearly nine years after he seized power in a military coup.

The plan has heightened fears of instability in a nuclear-armed Muslim nation whose support is seen as crucial to the U.S.-led war on terrorism and NATO attempts to crush a Taliban insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan

Here are some details of the process and possible political scenarios seen by political analysts and constitutional experts:

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

-- Under Pakistan's constitution, half the members of either house of the parliament, National Assembly and Senate can move a resolution seeking removal of the president on grounds he is physically or mentally unfit or to seek his impeachment for violating the constitution or gross misconduct.

-- The Speaker of the National Assembly within three days of the receipt of the notice for removal or impeachment of the president will transmit the notice to the president.

-- The Speaker shall call the two houses of the parliament to meet in a joint sitting after a week but less than two weeks after the Speaker receives the notice.

-- The joint sitting may investigate the charges against the president.

-- The president shall have the right to appear or send a representative to defend him before the joint sitting.

-- If, after investigation, the joint sitting passes a resolution with a two-thirds majority against the president, he shall cease to hold office immediately.

-- The constitution does not set any timeline for passing a

resolution and experts say it may take weeks if the joint sitting decided to investigate the charges.

COALITION STRATEGY

-- While Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower and head of the coalition, and his major partner, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, did not set any date for submission of the resolution against Musharraf, a coalition official said the National Assembly is likely to be called to meet on August 11.

-- Likewise, all four provincial assemblies will be called this month and resolutions passed to ask Musharraf to seek a vote of confidence from them, failing which impeachment proceedings will be started against him.