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Pakistan elections set for February: official
by Sami Zubeiri
ISLAMABAD, Nov 8, 2007 (AFP) - Pakistan's government will hold elections in February and lift the state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf within one or two months, his attorney general said Thursday.
The statement came after US President George W. Bush telephoned Musharraf for the first time since Saturday's declaration of emergency rule to urge him to keep to January's original election timetable and quit as army chief.
"Elections will be held in February, it has been decided," attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum, the government's chief lawyer, told AFP.
"The emergency will be lifted in one or two months."
The military ruler is also under pressure from ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, who has pledged to rally supporters in Rawalpindi on Friday and stage a "long march" next week if he does not restore the constitution and hold polls.
Officials had warned that the vote, seen as the key step in nuclear-armed Pakistan's transition to civilian democracy, could be delayed by up to a year, although the government said it wanted them held as soon as possible.
Musharraf imposed the state of emergency citing growing Islamic militancy and an interfereing judiciary. He suspended the constitution, sacked the chief justice and clamped curbs on the media.
Meanwhile police warned that suicide bombers had infiltrated Rawalpindi, a garrison town near Islamabad that has been hit by several recent blasts, ahead of Bhutto's protest.
"We have very specific intelligence reports that up to eight suicide bombers have entered Rawalpindi," city police chief Saud Aziz told AFP.
"Naturally they will target big public meetings like what you have seen in Karachi," he added.
Twin suicide bombings killed 139 people in Karachi at Bhutto's October 18 homecoming parade after eight years in self-exile.
Aziz said police would prevent Bhutto staging the rally, and her Pakistan People's Party said around 400 of its activists had been picked up overnight across Punjab province, Pakistan's political heartland.
"Police have launched a crackdown against our party workers at village, town and city level," it Punjab provincial secretary general, Ghulam Abbas, told AFP.
Police confirmed up to 50 arrests, while a federal government official said it "has not ordered a crackdown" against the party.
Many in Pakistan regard Bhutto's stance with scepticism, expecting she will still reach a proposed power-sharing deal with Musharraf that would bring two US-friendly political leaders under one banner.
Rival opposition parties, including that of ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, note that neither Bhutto nor any senior party officials have been arrested.
So far, the biggest protests have come from lawyers and supporters of the sacked chief justice, and have been crushed by security forces.
Lahore.
Pakistan's foreign ministry, however, gave a more positive version.
It said the US leader "praised President Pervez Musharraf's leadership and Pakistan's critical role in fighting terrorism and extremism, which posed a grave challenge not only to Pakistan but the world."
It admitted that Bush "mentioned about US concerns over return to civilian democratic rule and early elections, as had been originally planned by the president."
But it said he "showed understanding when the president informed him about the difficult circumstances that led to the proclamation of emergency in the country."
While Britain and France also demanded polls on time, senior US officials warned that Washington had no option but to pursue its long-term relationship with Islamabad because of its frontline role in fighting Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists.
AFP
Pakistan elections set for February: official
by Sami Zubeiri
ISLAMABAD, Nov 8, 2007 (AFP) - Pakistan's government will hold elections in February and lift the state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf within one or two months, his attorney general said Thursday.
The statement came after US President George W. Bush telephoned Musharraf for the first time since Saturday's declaration of emergency rule to urge him to keep to January's original election timetable and quit as army chief.
"Elections will be held in February, it has been decided," attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum, the government's chief lawyer, told AFP.
"The emergency will be lifted in one or two months."
The military ruler is also under pressure from ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, who has pledged to rally supporters in Rawalpindi on Friday and stage a "long march" next week if he does not restore the constitution and hold polls.
Officials had warned that the vote, seen as the key step in nuclear-armed Pakistan's transition to civilian democracy, could be delayed by up to a year, although the government said it wanted them held as soon as possible.
Musharraf imposed the state of emergency citing growing Islamic militancy and an interfereing judiciary. He suspended the constitution, sacked the chief justice and clamped curbs on the media.
Meanwhile police warned that suicide bombers had infiltrated Rawalpindi, a garrison town near Islamabad that has been hit by several recent blasts, ahead of Bhutto's protest.
"We have very specific intelligence reports that up to eight suicide bombers have entered Rawalpindi," city police chief Saud Aziz told AFP.
"Naturally they will target big public meetings like what you have seen in Karachi," he added.
Twin suicide bombings killed 139 people in Karachi at Bhutto's October 18 homecoming parade after eight years in self-exile.
Aziz said police would prevent Bhutto staging the rally, and her Pakistan People's Party said around 400 of its activists had been picked up overnight across Punjab province, Pakistan's political heartland.
"Police have launched a crackdown against our party workers at village, town and city level," it Punjab provincial secretary general, Ghulam Abbas, told AFP.
Police confirmed up to 50 arrests, while a federal government official said it "has not ordered a crackdown" against the party.
Many in Pakistan regard Bhutto's stance with scepticism, expecting she will still reach a proposed power-sharing deal with Musharraf that would bring two US-friendly political leaders under one banner.
Rival opposition parties, including that of ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, note that neither Bhutto nor any senior party officials have been arrested.
So far, the biggest protests have come from lawyers and supporters of the sacked chief justice, and have been crushed by security forces.
Lahore.
Pakistan's foreign ministry, however, gave a more positive version.
It said the US leader "praised President Pervez Musharraf's leadership and Pakistan's critical role in fighting terrorism and extremism, which posed a grave challenge not only to Pakistan but the world."
It admitted that Bush "mentioned about US concerns over return to civilian democratic rule and early elections, as had been originally planned by the president."
But it said he "showed understanding when the president informed him about the difficult circumstances that led to the proclamation of emergency in the country."
While Britain and France also demanded polls on time, senior US officials warned that Washington had no option but to pursue its long-term relationship with Islamabad because of its frontline role in fighting Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists.
AFP
