ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s presidential election, which General Pervez Musharraf has said he will contest to seek another term, is to be held on October 6.
This is the first time a serving soldier will run for an election.
“Premature”
The announcement of the date by Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Mahmood Farooq was denounced as premature by Opposition parties and the legal community as the Supreme Court is hearing petitions against President Musharraf’s eligibility to contest the election while remaining Army Chief.
The Pakistan People’s Party said it would “consider” resigning from the National Assembly and provincial assemblies if President Musharraf submitted his nomination, while the Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League (N) and its partners in the All Party Democracy Movement said they would carry out their decision to resign en masse from the assemblies.
Joint sitting
The election will be held at a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate, to be presided over by the CEC. Legislators of the provincial assemblies of Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Balochistan and Sindh, will cast their votes at the same time at their own sittings.
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