The Hindu : Front Page : Decision on Pakistan poll date put off

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
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Decision on Pakistan poll date put off

Nirupama Subramanian

All parties to be consulted: official

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission once again put off on Tuesday a decision on holding the January 8 general elections. An announcement in this regard is expected on Wednesday.

Commission Secretary Dilshad Kanwar said all parties had to be consulted before any decision could be taken.

Quoting unnamed officials, Dawn News television said the Commission would propose February 11 as the new date. It feels that the exercise can no longer be held on January 8.

Officials have been saying records, ballot boxes and papers were destroyed in the violence that erupted in Sindh after Benazir Bhutto’s killing on December 27.

But her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) reacted angrily to the possibility of postponement. “These are lame excuses being given by the Election Commission. Show me one place where an election office was set on fire during the violence. If it has happened they must have burnt it themselves. We will resist any postponement [of the election],” said Farahtullah Babar, a spokesman of the party.

PPP plans strategy meet

The central executive committee of the party is meeting again in the Bhutto family home at Naudero in Sindh to work out a strategy in case the elections are postponed.

Indications from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) suggested that contrary to the strong stand taken by its leader Nawaz Sharif on Monday, the party may accept a short delay, perhaps a month.

But spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said the party would not countenance any delay. “We have already stated our position. The elections must be held on January 8.”

Government apology

Red-faced after its car-lever-killed-Benazir theory was exposed by an amateur video footage that shows her being shot at from close range, the government apologised for the “crude” choice of words by the Interior Ministry spokesman.

Contradicting reports in the Pakistani media that Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro had apologised and retracted the theory at a meeting with editors on Monday, Interior Minister Lieutenant General (retd.) Hamid Nawaz said the government still stood by its position.

But he said the manner in which spokesman Brigadier (retd.) Javed Iqbal Cheema had described the incident “[the editors] felt the choice of words was crude” and had apologised for this.

“There is no change in the factual position.”

The News said Mr. Soomro told editors that all the available footage would be examined before reaching any conclusion regarding the cause of death of Benazir.

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