The majority of the new setup of Pakistan to be formed after last week's military coup will be civilians, an army spokesman said on October 19.

　 During a press briefing in Rawalpindi, Rashid Qureshi, director general of the Inter Service Public Relations, said more consultations are under way on the duration of the interim setup.

　 The army chief, General Pervez Musharraf, who has assumed the office of Pakistan's chief executive, has announced the formation of a six-member National Security Council (NSC) to steer the country and a cabinet of ministers will be formed in a couple of days to work under the guidance of the NSC.

　 The NSC comprises the navy chief, the air force chief and an expert each of legal, financial, foreign and national affairs, according to General Musharraf's speech to the nation on Sunday night.

　 The army spokesman said the inquiries against deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have been started but no case has been filed against him so far.

　 The inquiries are focusing on an alleged conspiracy to arrest the army chief when his plane was refused landing at the Karachi international airport last Tuesday.

　 The questions are being asked as to why the plane was not allowed to land in Karachi, its due destination, who issued the order to divert the plane and who implemented it, according to Qureshi.

　 It was reported that the commercial plane which General Mushrraf and other passengers were on board landed at the Karachi International Airport with fuel enough for only seven minutes of flying.

　 General Musharraf dashed to Islamabad after landing in Karachi and then announced the dismissal of the Nawaz Sharif government.

　 Qureshi said Sharif is well and is being well-treated. However, he failed to mention his whereabouts.

　 The spokesman said most of the former government ministers and parliament leaders have been released but he didn't tell the number.

　 Touching upon another issue, Qureshi said that "a large portion" of Pakistan's troops has been withdrawn from the international borders with India and that the whole process will be completed in less than a week.

　 General Musharraf has declared unilateral military de-escalation by ordering Pakistan's armed forces to withdraw from the Pak-Indian border to the position in the recent past. (Xinhua)