Parties in Pak have no objection if Jan 8 polls are postponed

Political parties in Pakistan have said that they have no objection if the January 8 elections are postponed for a few weeks.

Lahore, Dec 30 : Political parties in Pakistan have said that they have no objection if the January 8 elections are postponed for a "few weeks".

"We are in favour of postponing the polls in consultation with other parties for a few weeks," said a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-(Fazl).

He, however, said that the postponement should not be for over a few weeks, adding, "At the most the elections should be held in March."

He went on to day that though his party was fully prepared to contest the elections, but it will accept poll postponement as the Pakistan People's Party was undergoing a trauma following its leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination.

The Awami National Party (ANP) maintained that the Musharraf regime must respect any decision taken by the PPP in connection with the elections.

"They are the affected party. Their decision should be given importance," the Dawn quoted party sources, as saying.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) demanded a delay in the polls by at least a year.

PML-Q leader Farooq Ahmed Leghari said that a national government should run the country till the completion of the electoral process.

He further said that the PPP, the PML-N and the MMA should also be given representation in the proposed set-up and if some party did not like to join, its seat should be kept vacant.

"President Pervez Musharraf should reach out to all parties," Mr Leghari said.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said that the elections in the prevailing situation would be a meaningless exercise.

The Jamaat-i-Islami, the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf and a number of nationalist parties have already decided to boycott the polls.

ANI