Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf was sworn in for a five-year term as civilian president on Thursday, a day after quitting the post of army chief.

"This is a milestone in the transition of Pakistan to complete democracy," Musharraf said in a speech in the presidency in Islamabad after he took the oath.

The president added the country would benefit with him being a civilian leader and his hand-picked successor, General Ashfaq Kayani, in charge of the military.

Musharraf also called for "political reconciliation" and said he would welcome the return of old political rivals from exile.

The position of army chief was the basis of Musharraf's rule for the past eight years.

US President George W Bush called the Pakistani leader "an absolute reliable partner" as his power in nuclear-armed Pakistan was vital to the US strategy for the region and the campaign against al Qaeda in neighboring Afganistan.

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