Musharraf promises fair & transparent polls

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that general election in the emergency-ruled country will be held on January 8 and that the army will not be deployed during the polls as in the past.

"Inshallah, the general election in the country would be held on January 8," the military ruler said at a farewell dinner for outgoing members of Sindh assmebly in Karachi on Sunday evening, a day after US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte delivered a 'strong' message to him.

Musharraf said he would make a recommendation to this effect to the Election Commission, which will meet this week.

Earlier, Musharraf said unlike in the past, the army will not be called out during the polls and the situation would be handled by police and civil authorities.

'My concern is to have free, fair and transparent elections, with better law and order,' he said in an interview aired on state-run PTV.

Speaking at another function in Karachi, Musharraf also stepped up attack on opposition parties that have threatened to boycott the general election, saying they were fleeing from polls as they had realised they could not win.

Though Musharraf did not name anyone, his criticism was apparently aimed at former premier Benazir Bhutto whose Pakistan People's Party has said it could boycott elections if they were held under the emergency imposed by the military ruler on November 3.

'They have resorted to agitational politics and (are) threatening to boycott the elections just to run away from the elections. But we will go into the elections and I think that (they) all will participate in the forthcoming elections,' he said.

The assemblies of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan provinces were dissolved on Sunday and caretaker governments will be formed shortly. North West Frontier Province's assembly was dissolved and a caretaker set-up formed there last month.

The National Assembly or lower house of Parliament was dissolved on November 15 after it completed its five-year tenure.

Negroponte on Sunday said he had asked the General to lift emergency saying it was 'not compatible' with holding free and fair elections, doff uniform and release all political and human rights activists detained after proclamation of emergency.

Despite intense pressure from opposition parties and the world community, particularly the US, Musharraf has not set a date for ending emergency rule or for doffing his military uniform

Musharraf also said the 'code of conduct' framed for the media is in line with best international practices and the media has accepted it. The code was necessary as TV channels were not 'realising their responsibilities,' he said.

He also said the emergency was not meant to rig elections but to make sure that they are held in a peaceful manner.

'We are facing the threat of terrorism. We are into the process of elections and this process must go unhindered,' he said.