Pak to hold general election by May 16

Pak to hold general election by May 16

 

\ Pakistan will hold general election

by May 16 after the national and provincial assemblies are

dissolved on completing their five-year term, a senior

minister announced today.

          "The present assemblies will be dissolved on March 16 and

the election will be held within two months," Information

Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said.

          Briefing journalists after a meeting here yesterday with

cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who has been demanding electoral

reforms, Kaira said the period for scrutinising electoral

candidates would be 14 days instead of 30 and Qadri had no

objection to this.

            "According to our agreement with Qadri, we will also

consult him on the nomination of the caretaker prime

minister," he said.

            The ruling Pakistan People's Party and its coalition

partners had inked an agreement with Qadri on January 17 to

end a sit-in near the parliament in Islamabad by the cleric

and thousands of his followers.

            Qadri led a four-day protest to press the government to

act on his demands related to electoral reforms and

dissolution of the Election Commission.

            The Supreme Court last week rejected Qadri�s petition for

dissolving the Election Commission and raised questions about

his status as a Canadian national.