The presidential election in Pakistan will be held on October 6, the Election Commission announced here on Thursday.
The announcement evoked a mixed response in the country, with opposition parties vowing to resist the poll.
While the government welcomed the announcement as a positive development, critics said the commission should have waited for the outcome of the current battle in the Supreme Court on President Musharraf's eligibility. The opposition has threatened to resign from assemblies on the day Musharraf files his nomination in order to divest it of credibility.
The commission early this week issued a notification amending 1988 rules for the presidential election. The new rules enforced after President Musharraf's approval exempted him from the mischief of the constitutional provision that disqualified a government employee from contesting election till two years after leaving government service.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Thursday turned down Imran Khan's request to make the chief election commissioner respondent in the case challenging eligibility of Musharraf's candidature. Khan has also filed a separate petition
questioning the validity of what it described as Musharraf-specific notification of the commission.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), at a meeting on Thursday, prior to the announcement of the schedule, decided to stage a protest demonstration outside the Election Commission office on the day when Musharraf’s papers are scrutinised and launch another campaign to block Musharraf’s election. It said representatives of bar associations from across the country would converge in Islamabad on the day.
According to the schedule announced by the commission, nomination papers would be received on September 27, scrutiny of papers would be held on September 29, while candidates could withdraw from the contest on October 1. The polling would be held on October 6 and results would be announced the same day.
Members of the Senate, National Assembly and four provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan constitute the electoral college for the president. Special sessions of the elected houses would be held on October 6 for voting.
The incumbent assemblies which were elected in October 2002 would elect the new President a little over one month before their own term expires on November 15. The newly elected President would take oath of office on November 16 a day after Musharraf’s current term ends.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the election of President Musharraf and his promise to doff his uniform after that would strengthen democracy and ensure stability and progress of the country. Information minister Durrani said the schedule conforms to legal and democratic norms and urged the opposition to participate in the election.
But railways minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed said while Musharraf would be duly elected by the present assemblies, the resignations by opposition parties, including the PPP, would deny it credibility. Similar comments were made by other opposition leaders, including Imran Khan, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, and others.
The Pakistan People’s Party appeared hesitant in its reaction. Vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim expressed disappointment over the announcement of the schedule.
