No delay in General election: Pak PM
Islamabad: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday said there could be “no room for any delay” in holding the polls.
The Law Minister briefed Ashraf about the role of the Election Commission and measures taken by the government to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, said a statement from the premier’s office.
The two leaders discussed the “current situation in the backdrop of parleys with leaders of the PML-Q and reviewed the overall arrangements of the election process”, the statement said.
Pakistan’s political circles have been abuzz with speculation about the polls being delayed to prolong the term of a caretaker set-up for up to three years since cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri suddenly returned to Pakistan from Canada and led a massive protest against the government to push for electoral reforms.
Qadri on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the reconstitution of the Election Commission.
PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, a key ally of the PPP-led government, too has called for the reconstitution of the poll panel.
Top PPP leaders, including the premier, have been insisting that the polls will not be delayed. They have said that after the lower House of Parliament completes its term in mid-March, polls will be held by May.
