Pakistan polls on Febuary 18
Parliamentary polls in Pakistan slated for January 8 were on Wednesday deferred until February 18 by the Election Commission.
By PTI |
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary polls in Pakistan slated for January 8 were on Wednesday deferred until February 18 by the Election Commission, which rejected the demand of main Opposition parties including that of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto not to postpone the exercise.
“In the light of the circumstances (following the assassination of Bhutto), the new date for general elections is February 18, 2008 instead of January 8,” Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Mohammad Farooq told a press conference here. “I assure all political parties that the elections will be fair, free and transparent. I appeal to them to accept this decision in the supreme national interest and participate fully.”
The elections cannot be held now because of the law and order situation in the wake of the assassination of Bhutto on December 27 and the Moharram period starting later next week, he said. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was not in favour of delaying the polls. The PML-N of another former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also wanted the elections to go ahead as scheduled.
However, the PML-Q, which backs President Pervez Musharraf, had been demanding the postponement of the general elections. After chairing a series of meetings since Monday to assess the situation across the country, Mr Farooq said another reason for postponement of elections was the disruption of poll preparations following the killing of Bhutto.
Asked if the army would be deployed for ensuring security during the polls, he said no decision had been taken as yet in this regard.
“When the time comes, we will consult the provincial governments and take the law and order situation into consideration before making a decision (about deploying the army),” he said. The EC had earlier asked the electoral offices in Balochsitan, Sindh, Punjab and the North-Western Frontier Province to report on the law and order situation and poll preparations.
“In the light of the circumstances (following the assassination of Bhutto), the new date for general elections is February 18, 2008 instead of January 8,” Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Mohammad Farooq told a press conference here. “I assure all political parties that the elections will be fair, free and transparent. I appeal to them to accept this decision in the supreme national interest and participate fully.”
The elections cannot be held now because of the law and order situation in the wake of the assassination of Bhutto on December 27 and the Moharram period starting later next week, he said. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was not in favour of delaying the polls. The PML-N of another former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also wanted the elections to go ahead as scheduled.
However, the PML-Q, which backs President Pervez Musharraf, had been demanding the postponement of the general elections. After chairing a series of meetings since Monday to assess the situation across the country, Mr Farooq said another reason for postponement of elections was the disruption of poll preparations following the killing of Bhutto.
Asked if the army would be deployed for ensuring security during the polls, he said no decision had been taken as yet in this regard.
“When the time comes, we will consult the provincial governments and take the law and order situation into consideration before making a decision (about deploying the army),” he said. The EC had earlier asked the electoral offices in Balochsitan, Sindh, Punjab and the North-Western Frontier Province to report on the law and order situation and poll preparations.
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