Polls before Jan 9, says Musharraf

The Dawn, November 12, 2007

By Ihtasham ul Haque

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: President Gen Pervez Musharraf announced on Sunday that general elections would be held in the first week of January, but refused to give a date for lifting the emergency rule.

“Elections to the national and provincial assemblies will be held on the same date which the Election Commission of Pakistan will announce,” he said.

In any case, the whole election process will end by January 9, before Muharram. The national and provincial assemblies would be dissolved on November 15 and 20 respectively, he added.

Addressing his first news conference since the imposition of emergency, President Musharraf severely criticised deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and declared in categorical terms that none of the sacked judges of the superior courts would be reinstated.

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