'Pak emergency to be lifted in a month'

ISLAMABAD: A state of emergency imposed by Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is likely to be lifted within one month, the country's attorney general said Saturday. "The emergency is likely to be lifted in a month," attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum told private Geo television.

"It is mainly because of the law and order situation in some parts of the country. We hope it will continue to improve as it is improving now," Qayyum added.

Qayyum, the government's chief lawyer, said earlier this week that the emergency would be lifted in one or two months, ahead of elections that Musharraf has said will be held by February 15.

Military ruler Musharraf imposed the emergency a week ago citing a surge in Islamic militant attacks and interference in government by hostile judges. rj/dk/adm