Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that the presidential polls would be held sometime between September 15 and October 15 this year and the present assemblies would reelect Pervez Musharraf as the Islamic nation's President.
The statement came despite former prime minister in exile Benazir Bhutto's reported stand that her Pakistan People's Party would not support Musharraf's reelection from the present assemblies. Both these leaders have recently struck a broad 'power-sharing' deal to run the country.
"The assemblies would complete their term and the general elections would be held after the presidential elections," The News reported on Saturday, quoting the Pakistani premier as saying. The general polls in the country are slated for later this year.
Aziz said that Pakistan Muslim League, PML-Functional, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan People's Party-Sherpao would contest the general elections from one platform and would refrain from forming a pre-poll alliance with any other political outfit.
He said that the PML and its allies would definitely do well in the coming polls on the basis of their performance.
"The PML and its allied parties have the best quality candidates who will play a key role in the election process," the PM said.
It may be mentioned that according to a recent opinion poll, conducted by the US-based International Republican Institute, Bhutto's PPP would sweep the polls. About 58 per cent people in Sindh, 33 per cent in Balochistan, 23 per cent in Punjab and 25 per cent in the North West Frontier Province wanted to see PPP in power, it had said.
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