No option but to Pak delay polls: Musharraf

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Agencies

Posted online: Thursday , January 03, 2008 at 12:00:00
Updated: Thursday , January 03, 2008 at 09:14:11

Islamabad, January 3: Asserting that there was no option but to put off Pakistan's general election due to the law and order situation created by former premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination, President Pervez Musharraf said the army would be deployed across the country ensure fair and peaceful polls.

Musharraf described the postponement of the polls by the Election Commission from January 8 to February 18 as "reasonable and appropriate" and said the army and paramilitary troops would remain deployed even after the balloting to maintain peace.

"I had always wanted the polls to be held as scheduled on January 8 and there should be no delay. But the Election Commission said there was so much disruption in its preparations, especially in Sindh, that it was not possible to hold the polls as scheduled. The new date is absolutely reasonable," he said in an address to the nation.

The army and paramilitary Pakistan Rangers will be deployed across the country to ensure "free, fair, transparent and peaceful" elections.

"The deployment of the army and Rangers across the country has now become vital to ensure the holding of peaceful elections," Musharraf said.

Earlier, Musharraf said, he had not intended to deploy the army to protect the force from any sort of allegations.

But in the prevailing law and order situation, it was critical to deploy the army and Rangers across the country "during and beyond" the elections so that persons intending to disturb the peace can be dealt with sternly, he said.

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