General Elections 2008

General Llections 2008
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GENERAL ELECTI ONS 2008

EDI TOR
DR NOOR UL HAQ

ASSI STANT EDI TOR
TAUQEER HUSSAI N TAKI
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CONTENTS

Preface

1. Llectoral System in Pakistan - A Brie 1

2. Polling Scheme 8
3. PPP's Maniesto 9

4. PML,N, Maniesto 10

5. PML,Q, Maniesto 13

6. ANP Maniesto 15

. MQM Maniesto 15

8. MMA Maniesto 1

9. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam ,Samiul laq, Maniesto 18

10. 1he Charter o Democracy 18

11. National Reconciliation Ordinance 24

12. Musharra Declares State o Lmergency 2

13. Soomro 1akes Oath as Interim PM 30

14. Llection Process Starts 1oday 30

15. LC Inites Applications or Llection Symbols 31

16. Boycott Option Still Open: BB 32

1. 1,444 Candidates rom Balochistan to Contest Polls 34

18. 46 Parties Allotted Llection Symbols 35

19. Coalition with N Possible but not with Q: Benazir 3

20. JUI-S Announces Polls Boycott 38

21. Around 12 JI Candidates to \ithdraw Nominations 39

22. Lmergency Goes, Constitution Returns 40

23. Aitzaz \ithdraws Nomination Papers 41

24. Naheed Khan \ithdraws Nomination Papers 41

25. Party Men Continue to Quit PML-Q 42

26. JUI-l in a 1ight Corner Due to JI`s Llection Boycott 43

2. PML-N lorms Body or Seat Adjustment with PPP 43

28. lormer PM \arns o Anarchy i Polls are Not lair 44

29. ,335 Candidates up or January 8 Llections 45


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30. PPP, PML-N Complete Adjustment on 25 Seats 46

31. Benazir Bhutto Killed in Attack 4

32. Parliamentary Llections in Pakistan Postponed to Next Month 49

33. US Pushing Pakistan to lix Distortions Beore Polls 50

34. PML-Q Issues \hite Paper Against Nawaz 51

36. 1ell-tale lindings 53

3. In 1ribal Pakistan, Religious Parties are loundering 54

38. US lails Pakistan Poll as Important Step 5

39. Pakistanis Deal Seere Deeat to Musharra in Llection 5

40. \inner to lorm Goernment: Musharra Congratulates Nation on 61
Peaceul Llections, Urges Acceptance o Results Graceully

41. PML-Q Greets Nawaz, Zardari 63

42. loreign Obserers Satisied 63

43. Liberal Parties Rout Mullahs in N\lP: All the King`s Men, Gone! 64

44. US Senators Commend Credible Polls 65

46. 1he People hae Spoken 6

4. Pakistan`s Victors May Lack Strength to Oust Musharra 6

48. Britain Greets Pakistanis 69

49. Musharra Showed Grace` in Deeat: Kerry 0

50. lree and lair 0

51. Zardari Vows to orm Got o Consensus 1

52. Zardari, Nawaz Agree to lorm Coalition 2

53. Pakistanis Strike Political Accord 4

54. PPP, ANP Join lands or Unettered Judiciary

55. Llections 2008 Results 8

56. Llections 2008 Results Ater Nomination o Resered Seats 9

5. Preious General Llections 2002 Results 9

58. Preious Proincial Assemblies Llections 2002 Results 80
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PREFACE
1he ninth general elections or the National and Proincial Assemblies o
Pakistan were held on lebruary 18, 2008. All major political parties ,except
Jamat-i-Islami and some minor parties, participated. 1he oter`s turnout was
44.6 percent, which was 2. percent higher than preious election`s 41.9
percent held in 2002. 1he total registered oters or the National Assembly
were 80,910,318 ,45,306,540 male and 35,603,8 emale,.

1he number o contested seats or National Assembly was 268 in a
house whose total strength, ater adding 30 resered seats or women and 10
or minorities, is 342. 1here were as many as 335 contesting candidates or
the National Assembly seats. lorty six political parties were allotted symbols
to participate in the elections. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian ,PPPP,
emerged as the largest single party with 88 seats, ollowed by Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz ,PML-N, with 66 seats, Pakistan Muslim League ,PML, with
38 seats, Muttahida Qaumi Moement ,MQM, 19 seats, Awami National Party
,ANP, 10 seats, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ,MMA, ie seats, Pakistan Muslim
League lunctional ,PML-l, our seats and independents including all others
captured the remaining 38 seats. Only two parties, PPPP and PML ,PML-Q,,
were represented in all proinces and no single party could secure an oerall
majority in the National Assembly.

Similarly, in proinces, except or Sindh where PPPP emerged as the
majority party with seats, no single party succeeded in securing an oerall
majority. PML-N was the largest single party in the Punjab and won both seats
o the lederal Capital, ANP was the largest party in the North \est lrontier
Proince, and PML ,PML-Q, in Balochistan. 1hese elections would result in
the ormation o coalition goernments both at the Centre and in the
proinces, except perhaps Sindh. As per general perception,obseration, the
elections were air, transparent and peaceul and were acclaimed both
nationwide and internationally.

1he actfite includes excerpts rom the maniestoes o major political
parties, election results and selected media coerage.

March 10, 2008 Noor ul laq

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ELECTORAL SYSTEM I N PAKI STAN - A BRI EF

Introduction
1he Parliament o Pakistan consists o the President and two louses to be
known respectiely as National Assembly and the Senate. 1he National
Assembly consists o 342 Seats including 60 seats resered or \omen and 10
Seats resered or Non-Muslims. 1he Senate consists o 100 Members
including 1 Seats resered or \omen and 1 Seats resered or 1echnocrats
and Ulema. 1he Members o the National Assembly are elected or a term o 5
years whereas the Members o the Senate are elected or a term o 6 years with
staggered elections eery 3 years.

Llection Commission of Pakistan
lor the purpose o elections to both louses o Parliament, Proincial
Assemblies and or election o such other public oices as may be speciied by
law or until such law is made by the Parliament by Order o the President, a
permanent Llection Commission is constituted by the President comprising
the Chie Llection Commissioner as its Chairman and 4 Members, each o
whom is a Judge o ligh Court, appointed by the President ater consultation
with the Chie Justice o ligh Court concerned and with the Chie Llection
Commissioner.

Duties of Llection Commission
1he Llection Commission constituted in relation to an election has been
charged with the duty to organize and conduct the election an to make such
arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the election is conducted
honestly, justly, airly and in accordance with law and that corrupt practices are
guarded against.

Chief Llection Commissioner
1he Chie Llection Commissioner is appointed by the President, in his
discretion, or a term o 3 years. A person who is or has been, a Judge o
Supreme Court or is, or has been a Judge o a ligh Court and is qualiied to
be appointed as a Judge o the Supreme Court o Pakistan is appointed as
Chie Llection Commissioner. 1he Chie Llection Commissioner enjoys
security o tenure and inancial autonomy.

Duties of the Chief Llection Commissioner
Under the Constitution, the Chie Llection Commissioner has been charged
with the duty o -
a, preparing electoral rolls or election to the National Assembly,
Proincial Assemblies and Local Goernment Institutions. It is
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also the duty o the Chie Llection Commissioner to reise such
rolls annually,
b, organizing and conducting election to the Senate or to ill casual
acancies in a louse or a Proincial Assembly, and
c, appointing Llection 1ribunals, and
d, conduct o Local Goernment Llections.

Llection to the National/Provincial Assemblies
Members o the National Assembly and Proincial Assemblies are elected by
direct oting in a constituency on irst-past-the-post system through a secret
ballot. A candidate who obtains the highest number o otes in a constituency,
is declared elected as a Member o National or a Proincial Assembly. 1he
constituency-wise detail o seats in the National Assembly and Proincial
Assemblies is as under:-

National Assembly

NUMBLR OI SLA1S
Seats reserved for
Province/Area
General
Seats
Non-Muslims Women
1otal
lederal Capital 2 2
Punjab 148 35 183
Sindh 61 14 5
N\lP 35 8 43
lA1As 12 -- 12
Balochistan 14

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3 1
1otal: 272 J0 60 332+J0=342

Provincial Assemblies

NUMBLR OI SLA1S
Seats reserved for
Province/Area General Seats
Non-Muslims Women
1otal
Punjab 29 8 66 31
Sindh 130 9 29 168
N\lP 99 3 22 124
Balochistan 51 3 11 65
1otal: S77 23 J28 728


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1he Seats in the National Assembly are allocated to each Proince,
the lederally Administered 1ribal Areas ,lA1As, and the lederal Capital on
the basis o population in accordance with the last preceding Census oicially
published.
Members to the Seats resered or \omen and Non-Muslims, are
elected in accordance with law through proportional representation system o
political party`s lists o candidates on the basis o total number o General
Seats secured by each political party in the National Assembly or a Proincial
Assembly.

Llection to the Senate
1he Senate consists o 100 members, o whom 14 members are elected by
each Proincial Assembly, 8 members are elected rom lederally Administered
1ribal Areas ,lA1As, by the Members o National Assembly rom these areas,
2 members, 1 woman and 11echnocrat is elected rom the lederal Capital by
the Members o National Assembly, 4 women and 4 1echnocrats are elected
by the members o each Proincial Assembly. 1he breakup o seats allocated
to each Proince, lederally Administered 1ribal Areas ,lA1As,, lederal
Capital, \omen and Ulema,1echnocrats, is as under:

Senate
NUMBLR OI SLA1S
Seats reserved for
Province/Area General Seats
Women 1echnocrats
and Ulema
1otal
lederal Capital 2 1 1 4
Punjab 14 4 4 22
Sindh 14 4 4 22
N\lP 14 4 4 22
lA1As 8 - - 8
Balochistan 14 4 4 22
1otal: 66 J7 J7 J00

It is the responsibility o the Chie Llection Commissioner to hold
and make arrangements or the Senate elections in accordance with the system
o proportional representation by means o a single transerable ote through
electoral colleges.
1he term o the members o the Senate is 6 years. loweer, the term
o the irst group o the Senators, who shall retire ater completion o irst 3
years o the Senate, is determined by drawing o lots by the Chie Llection
Commissioner.

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Llection to the Office of the President
1he President o Pakistan is chosen by a secret ballot through an Llectoral
College comprising the Members o the Senate, National Assembly and the
Proincial Assemblies. A person who is a Muslim and not less than 45 years o
age and is qualiied to be elected as a Member o the National Assembly can
contest the Presidential election. 1he President is elected or a term o 5 years.
It is the duty o Chie Llection Commissioner to conduct elections to the
oice o the President in a special session o Parliament and all the Proincial
Assemblies in accordance with the proisions o Second Schedule to the
Constitution.

Qualification for Membership of the Parliament and Provincial
Assemblies
A person who is a citizen o Pakistan, is enrolled as a oter in any electoral roll
and in case o National,Proincial Assemblies is not less than 25 years o age
and in case o Senate not less than 30 years o age, is o good character and is
not commonly known as one who iolates Islamic injunctions, has adequate
knowledge o Islamic teachings and practices, obligatory duties prescribed by
Islam as well as abstains rom major sin, is sagacious, righteous and non-
proligate, honest and ameen, has not been conicted or a crime inoling
moral turpitude or or giing alse eidence, and has not, ater establishment
o Pakistan, worked against the integrity o the country or opposed the
ideology o Pakistan and is graduate, can contest the elections and become a
member o the Parliament or a Proincial Assembly.

Llections to the Local Government Institutions
In order to decentralize administratie and inancial authority to be
accountable to Local Goernments, or good goernance, eectie deliery o
serices and transparent decision making through institutionalized
participation o the people at grassroots leel, elections to the local
goernment institutions are held ater eery 4 years on non party basis by the
Chie Llection Commissioner o Pakistan. Members o Union Council
including Union Nazim and Naib Union Nazim are elected through direct
elections based on adult ranchise and on the basis o joint electorate. 1he
electoral college or election o Zila Nazim and resered seats o women,
Peasants and \orkers and Minorities in the Zila Council shall be all the
members o Union Councils in the district including Union Nazim and Naib
Union Nazims. 1he electoral college or the election o a 1ehsil Nazim, 1own
Nazim and resered seats o \omen, Peasants and \orkers, and Minorities in
the 1ehsil council and 1own Council shall be all the members o the Union
Councils in 1ehsil or, as the case may be 1own, including Union Nazims and
Naib Union Nazims. loweer, or the election to the resered seats or

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\omen in Zila council proportionately diided among 1ehsils or 1owns shall
be all members o the Union Councils in a 1ehsil or 1own. It is the
responsibility o the Chie Llection Commissioner to organize and conduct
these elections. 1he categories wise total number o seats in a Union Council
as well as all the Union Councils is as under:

Category-wise Number of Seats in a Union Council

SR.No. Category Number of Seats
1. Nazim,Naib Nazim 2
2. Muslim ,General, 4
3. Muslim ,\omen, 2
4. Peasants,\orkers 3
5. Peasants,\orkers ,\omen, 1
6. Minority Communities 1
1otal : J3

Category-wise 1otal Number of Seats in All Union Councils

SR.No. Category Number of Seats
1. Nazim 6,125
2. Naib Nazim 6,125
3. Muslim ,General, 24,500
4. Muslim ,\omen, 12,250
5. Peasants,\orkers 12,250
6. Peasants,\orkers ,\omen, 12,250
. Minority Communities 6,125
1otal : 79,62S

Qualification of a Voter
A person, who is a citizen o Pakistan, is not less than 18 years o age on the
irst day o January o the year in which the rolls are prepared or reised, is not
declared by a competent court to be o un-sound mind and is or is deemed to
be a resident o an electoral area, can get himsel enrolled as a oter in that
electoral area. 1he citizens registered on the electoral rolls are only eligible to
cast their otes.

Llectoral Procedure
lor the conduct o elections to the National and Proincial Assemblies, the
Llection Commission appoints a District Returning Oicer or each District
and a Returning Oicer or each constituency, who are drawn rom amongst
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the oicers o the Judiciary, the lederal,Proincial Goernment and Local
Authorities. Returning Oicers are mostly Additional District & Sessions
Judges.
1he list o polling stations is prepared by the Returning Oicers and
approed by the District Returning Oicer. No polling station can be located
in the premises o a candidate.
1he list o Presiding Oicers, Assistant Presiding Oicers and polling
sta is prepared by the Returning Oicer and sent to the District Returning
Oicer or approal at least 15 days beore the polls. 1he Presiding Oicer is
responsible or conducting polls at the Polling Station and maintaining law and
order. le is assisted by the Assistant Presiding Oicers and Polling Oicer.
Ater the publication o Llection Schedule by the Llection
Commission, nomination papers are inited rom interested contesting
candidates.
Scrutiny o nomination papers is carried out by the Returning Oicers
and nomination papers are accepted,rejected.
Appeals against rejection,acceptance o nomination papers are iled
with the appellate tribunal, who decide such appeals summarily within such
time as may be notiied by the Commission and any order passed thereon shall
be inal.
linal list o contesting candidates is prepared and published in the
prescribed manner by the Returning Oicer ater incorporation o the
decisions on appeals and ater withdrawal o candidature by the candidates i
any.
Llection Symbols are also allocated to the candidates by the Returning
Oicer according to their party ailiation or as an indiidual candidate, rom
the list o Llection Symbols approed by the Llection Commission. 1he
Returning Oicer also publishes the names o the contesting candidates
arranged in the Urdu alphabetical order speciying against each the symbol
allocated to him.
1he Llection Commission o Pakistan proides each Returning
Oicer with copies o oter`s list or his constituency who distributes it
amongst the Presiding Oicers in accordance with the polling scheme and
assignment o oters to each polling station,booth.
Voters cast their otes at speciied polling stations according to their
names in an electoral rolls. Since the election or both National and Proincial
Assemblies constituencies are held on the same day, the oter is issued two
separate ballot papers or each National Assembly and Proincial Assembly
constituency.
\hen an elector presents himsel at the polling station to ote, the
Presiding Oicer shall issue a ballot paper to the elector ater satisying
himsel about the identity o the elector through his identity card.
Polling is held or nine hours on the polling day without any break.

Immediately ater the close o the poll otes are counted at the polling
stations by the Presiding Oicers in presence o the candidates, their Llection
Agents, and Polling Agents.
Ater counting the ballot papers the Presiding Oicer prepares a
statement o the count indicating the number o otes secured by a candidate,
and send it to the Returning Oicer alongwith the election material, un-used
ballot papers, spoilt ballot papers, tendered ballot papers, challenged ballot
papers, marked copies o the electoral rolls, the counter-oils o used ballot
papers, the tendered otes lists, and the challenged otes lists.
1he Presiding Oicers also announce the result o count at the
polling stations and paste a copy o the result out-side the polling stations.
Ater the receipt o statement o counts rom the Presiding Oicers
o the polling stations, the Returning Oicer compiles the preliminary un-
oicial result and intimates the results to the Llection Commission through
ax or announcement on print,electronic media.
Ater the announcement o un-oicial result, the Returning Oicer
seres a notice to all the contesting candidates and their election agents
regarding the day, time and place ixed or consolidation o the result. In the
presence o the contesting candidates and election agents, the Returning
Oicer consolidates the results o the count urnished by the Presiding
Oicers in the prescribed manner including postal ballot receied by him
beore the polling day.
Immediately ater preparing the consolidated statement the Returning
Oicer submits a copy to the Llection Commission in the prescribed orm
which publishes the names o the returned candidates in the oicial Gazette.

tectiov Covvi..iov of Pa/i.tav,
http:,,www.ecp.go.pk,content,LRS\S.html

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POLLI NG SCHEME
General Llections, 2007-08

Sl.
No
Province 1otal Number of Registered Voters 1otal Number of
Area Male Iemale 1otal Polling
Stations
Polling
Booths
Presiding
Officers
Assistant
Presiding
Officers
Polling
Officers
1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9
1 Islamabad 26169 221104 482801 382 1023 382 2046 1023
2 Punjab 24481520 2000436 44485896 3636 920 3636 194540 920

3 Sindh 1089416 861229 1950643 13406 39329 13406 8658 39329
4 N\lP 6324182 433030 10661212 813 2146 813 42952 2146

5 lA1As 985994 424332 1410326 1122 244 1122 244 244

6 Balochistan 235891 2004639 4363610 345 8332 345 16664 8332

1otal: 45306540 356038 80910318 6416 1014 6416 33604 1014
http:,,www.ecp.go.pk,content,LRS\S.html


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PPP' S MANI FESTO: BENAZI R LAUNCHES PARTY MANI FESTO

PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto on lriday ormally launched the party
maniesto or the January 8 elections, ocusing on 5 Ls` namely employment,
education, energy, enironment and equality.
\e beliee that the key to deelopment lies in ocusing on
employment, education, energy, enironment and equality and in the January 8
elections we are presenting a better uture or the people o Pakistan,` said the
ormer prime minister while uneiling the party maniesto 2008 at a crowded
news conerence on lriday.
PPP Parliamentarians Secretary General Raja Perez Ashra and
Inormation Secretary Sherry Rehman were also present on the occasion. 1he
ocal point o the maniesto, howeer, remains the party`s popular slogan o
Roti, Kapra aur Makan` or lood, Clothing and Shelter` with three additions
o education, energy and employment.
Interestingly, the PPP has included all the 36 points o the Charter o
Democracy in its maniesto. Brieing on the main ocal points o the
maniesto, Benazir Bhutto said in order to create employment, the educated
youth would be gien one-year employment on trial basis, micro-inance
would be enhanced and the elderly would be gien special concessions.
Ater coming into power, we would construct small dams to
oercome the water shortage in the country, power generation would be
promoted and the menace o load-shedding would be ended,` she added.
Benazir Bhutto said that the PPP would remoe the ban on student
unions but at the same time would not allow arms on campuses and een in
Madrassas. 1he education curriculum will also be reised in line with modern
education.
Benazir said the PPP would not turn the religious seminaries into
arms depots or military headquarters to impose their will on the people. She
owed to expand micro inance in the country so that as many as 5 million
people could borrow money to generate incomes.
On equality, she said it was an important part o the maniesto and
that eery citizen had equal rights. She said, \e want to make Pakistan a
moderate economic country, as we are liing in a global world in order to
ulill its requirements we hae to change our thinking but this will only be
possible i the Constitution is held supreme and the judiciary is independent
and the democracy preails.`
Benazir said that the party would also empower the women and
minorities through putting in place a national employment policy or women,
through taking institutional initiaties to preent crimes against women,
through eectie legislation to enable secure ownership o assets and
resources or women, through establishing amily courts led by women judges.
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She said the PPP would proide protection to Pakistan`s minorities
through reiewing laws that discriminated against them. It will empower the
minorities through job quotas and airmatie action programmes that entitled
them to employment in the public sector, she added.
On enironment, she said the PPP would support the Kyoto Protocol
and it would be implemented in the country. Benazir also said that the housing
credits would be proided to low and middle-income groups and or senior
citizens the party would proide inancial assistance.
In the health sector, she said that national insurance scheme would be
launched or better health acilities or the people. On oreign policy the PPP
says that it will support the right o sel-determination or all people and it will
support the rights o Kashmiri people and will pursue the composite dialogue
process agenda that it initiated with India.
On terrorism, the PPP owed to dismantle the militant groups who
seek to make hostage the oreign policy o the country and impose their writ
through orce on tribal areas o Pakistan and elsewhere and the distinctions
between and amongst terrorist groups will no longer be maintained`.
On deence, the PPP says that the educational curriculum in deence
institutions will be reised to ensure respect or democracy, democratic
institutions and elected oicials. In addition, the PPP says that all newly-
appointed serices chies will be gien a public oath o oice, similar to the
one taken at commissioner, prior to taking up their assignments.
On proincial autonomy, the PPP says it will abolish the concurrent
legislatie list, the proinces will be gien due share in their natural resources,
reiew the criteria o the NlC award while taking into account contribution o
reenues, geographic size, backwardness and leel o deelopment as well as
population, reiew the natural gas rates and royalty ormula, proinces will be
gien part o sale proceeds in the sale o ederal assets in their proinces.

Deence Pakistan, December 01, 200
<http:,,www.deence.pk,orums,strategic-geopolitical-issues,8506-ppps-
maniesto.html

PML (N) MANI FESTO: PML-N MANI FESTO UNVEI LED

PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Shari on lriday announced maniesto o the
party or the 2008 polls with a pledge o restoring the judiciary, democracy and
eliminating military role in politics.
1he seen-point maniesto ocuses on the acronym RLS1ORL in
which R stands or restoration o the judiciary, democracy and the 193
Constitution, L or elimination o military's role in politics, S or security o
lie and property o the people, 1 or tolerant and pluralistic society, O or
oerall national reconciliation and institutional deelopment, R or relie or

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the poor through poerty alleiation and inally L which stands or
employment, education and health acility to the citizens.
1he maniesto was launched at a press conerence held at the Model
1own residence o the party chie attended by party President Shahbaz Shari,
ormer ederal ministers Ishaq Dar, Sartaj Aziz and party leader Siddiq al-
larooq.
1he maniesto was prepared by a 16-member committee chaired by
Sartaj Aziz. It rules out role o the military in the political aairs o the country
and stresses to resume a pure proessional role, as it is in other democratic
countries. It also promises to appoint a commission to identiy the causes and
ix responsibility or the Kargil crisis in 1999.
1he PML-N maniesto pledges that a 1ruth and Reconciliation
Commission would be constituted to examine and report its indings on
military coups and illegal remoal o goernment in the past two decades and
acknowledges ictims o torture, imprisonments, state-sponsored persecution,
targeted legislation and politically-motiated accountability.
1he maniesto also promises good goernance by ensuring security o
serice, reamp NAB and appoint its chairman in consultation with the leader
o the opposition, bring military under the puriew o accountability, abolish
National Security Council and bring deence budget within the puriew o
parliament or approal. It also promises to restore military's honour and
respect as a proessional and a political institution.
It also oices or protection, independence and dignity o the judicial
system through eectie measures and promises to strength the lower
judiciary or speedy deliering o justice to the people while announcing the
maniesto. 1he maniesto mentions extremism and terrorism as a menace and
assures to intensiy eorts to curb it. 1he party makes commitment to increase
minimum wages to Rs 5000,month and conorm labour laws to ILO
conentions. It also expressed it resole to work or resolution o Kashmir
dispute in line with UN resolutions and aspirations o Kashmiri people. It
ocuses to respect the principle o proincial autonomy and bring lA1A into
the mainstream o country's political, economic and cultural lie.
Later, talking to the newsmen, Mian Nawaz Shari regretted that
Pakistan was the most unortunate country, as it had been dictatorship
repeatedly. le said the 'country could prosper only when the military's role in
politics comes to an end or good."
le said restoration o sacked judges and judiciary to its pre-No 3
position is the prime agenda o the party or which it would continue struggle.
Nawaz also urged PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto to adopt sot attitude
towards the sacked judges, while saying that 'criticizing those judges who
reused to take oath under the PCO is unair, as they are the real heroes and
stars o nation.' le also urged Benazir and Maulana lazlur Rahman to sign an
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undertaking or continuing struggle or restoration o sacked judges and pre-
No 3 judiciary.
PML-N Quaid said President Musharra twice imposed martial law
during his rule which shows that he had himsel admitted that he was
responsible or making Pakistan a 'ailed state.' le said the country was
passing through the worst kind o crisis where the poor don't een hae
enough money to buy medicine or their ill children or to proide them
suicient ood, as eerything has gone beyond their reach. Nawaz said his
party would resist "eery unconstitutional act o President Musharra."
le said Musharra had put the entire country at stake by preerring
himsel to Pakistan. "le is equating himsel with Pakistan," said Nawaz. le
said the country witnessed no deelopment during the eight years rule o
Musharra. le said the seen-point agenda o Perez Musharra proed
nothing, but a ailure as neither he could create harmony among proinces nor
could he bring economic prosperity in the country. le said the goernment
claimed to hae broken 'Kashkol' ,begging bowl, but instead the country was
still under the burden o oreign and domestic loans.
le said the PML-N goernment must be credited or the huge
deelopment in the country as it initiated seeral deelopment projects during
its past tenures. le said our goernment launched Ghazi Barotha Project
which was inaugurated by this goernment. No step was taken to sole the
power crisis and improe communication structure, he said. Nawaz said the
country was in crisis because o repeated dictatorships, adding 'the worst
democracy is better than the best dictatorship.'
On a question about poll boycott, Nawaz said he neer wanted to
boycott the polls partially and added that he was in aour o unanimous
boycott. On a question about accepting turncoats in the party, Nawaz said the
party was only considering selectie cases, adding that there is no chance o
party's handshake with the PML-Q. On a question o seat adjustment with the
PPP, Nawaz said the party would decided ater consultations. le also said the
party had almost decided its candidates rom all parts o the country but in
Sindh, the candidates couldn't be ielded rom all seats. On a question, he said
he neer accepted any oreign pressure whether it was exerted by the US or
any other oreign power.
\hen asked who would be the party candidate or the prime
ministership o the country and chie ministership o Punjab, Nawaz smiled
and pointing towards Shahbaz said 'Preiously, both o us were or the slots,
but now the papers hae been rejected and the matter would be consulted
later.'

1be êr., December 19, 200
http:,,www.thenews.com.pk,top_story_detail.aspId~1138


13
PML(Q) MANI FESTO
PML MANI FESTO PROMOTES FI VE DS : DEMOCRACY,
DEVELOPMENT, DEVOLUTI ON, DI VERSI TY AND DEFENCE

1he PML launched its maniesto or the 2008 Llections at a press conerence
at the PML louse here, which was jointly addressed by PML President
Chaughry Shujat lussain and PML Secretary General Mushahid lussain
Sayed.
1he maniesto contains a number new ideas and innoatie initiaties
reoling around the ie Ds` that were termed as the PML Vision`. 1hese
are Democracy, Development, Devolution, Diversity and Defence.
1he two PML leaders underlined that the Party deliberately choose
December 10 to launch the PML Maniesto since it coincided with the
International luman Rights Day and the Party wanted to reairm its
commitment to Human Rights as a major policy priority.
1he PML maniesto also uneiled two mottos o the Party, Lie and Let
Lie`, to ocus on promoting tolerance and harmony in politics and the
other, Giving Hope to the Hopeless`.
1he PML President underlined that a lot o work had gone into
preparations o the Party maniesto and he had entrusted the initial task o
giing input to a Committee headed by Senator S.M. Zaar. 1hen there had
been consultations within the Party and outside as well, and the inal product
was a result o brain storming between the Party President and the Secretary
General during the last one week.
Chaudhry Shujat lussain underlined that the PML was the only Party
that did not beliee in the cult o personality, rather it draws its inspiration
rom the Vision of Pakistan's founding fathers, Quaid-e-Azam and Allama
Iqbal. 1he attractiely produced maniesto has a number o quotations rom
the Quaid-e-Azam on dierent themes. Senator Mushahid lussain Sayed said
that new initiaties proposed in the PML charter were doable and Poor
Iriendly`. le also said that great care had been taken to ensure that the
maniesto reaches out to all sections o Pakistan`s population and society,
particularly the poor and oiceless. lor instance there are projects or the
disabled, youth, women, teachers, prisoners, senior citizens, widows and
orphans, as well as journalists, artists, poets and writers, and oerseas
Pakistanis.
lor instance, the PML is proposing a National 1eachers Day to
honour the proession o teaching, and it proposes to raise the retirement age
of teachers to 6S.
Chaudhry Shujat lussain also underlined that PML was committed to
a democratic political culture based on culture o conciliation rejecting the
culture o reenge`. le also emphasized the need or democracy within
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political parties including the right o dissent and dierence o opinion`. In a
new initiatie, the PML manifesto calls for a constitutional amendment to
allow representation of overseas Pakistanis in the parliament.
Speaking on deence and oreign policy, Senator Mushahid lussain
said the PML wishes to redefine the concept of national security so that,
apart rom military might ciilian components are also highlighted`. 1hese
include respect or the Rule o Law and luman Rights, political parties and
proincial autonomy, economy and education, ciil society, independent media
and judiciary and a soereign parliament`. 1he PML maniesto rules out
allowing any intrusion into its Nuclear Program or proide access to any o
its nuclear installations and scientists to outsiders`.
1he PML has also proposed a 1ask Iorce or examining the causes
o extremism and it has stated its position on such issues as Kashmir,
Aghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and the Iranian nuclear program. 1he PML also
Recognizes the APlC as representing the oice o the Oppressed Kashmiri
people`. 1he maniesto also calls or the Ioreign Office to be more people
friendly.
Summing up the maniesto, PML President Chaudhry Shujat lussain
said that the maniesto has taken major initiaties that will beneit the majority
o Pakistanis, particularly the poor and those liing in the rural areas. In this
regard, he reerred to the Village Development Initiative or integrated
deelopment o Rural communities, promoting sel reliance through a Skills
Promotion 1rust giing access to easily aailable small loans or persons keen
to transorm their skills or generating income on sel help basis as well as
reolutionary program or proision o Low Cost Housing under what is
termed as Cheap Homes Initiative`.
Concluding, the PML Secretary General Senator Mushahid lussain
urged the political parties that instead o resorting to negatiism and
pessimism they should come out with alternatie policies aimed at beneiting
the great majority o the people o Pakistan. le said that PML has done that
through its Maniesto and our message is a positie one based on optimism
and its motto o Giing lope to the lopeless`. 1he maniesto also included
a new initiatie or improing the image o Pakistan through a Cultural
Ambassador and recognizing the diersity o the Pakistan lederation. 1he
maniesto deines extremism, terrorism and sectarianism as the biggest
security threats to Pakistan` and it is also ocused on moral alues and
character building including rejection o Sifarshi Culture and Khushamdi
Culture.

Pakistan Muslim League, December 10, 200
http:,,www.pml.org.pk,details.aspxid~8e0e30-94c-41ab-ae63-
b9bcb382ed4c&cha~1&cat=...


15
ANP ELECTI ON MANI FESTO
ASAFANDYAR ANNOUNCES ANP ELECTI ON MANI FESTO

PLSlA\AR, Pakistan, Dec 16 ,APP,:- Announcing the silent eatures o
election maniesto o Awami National Party at a Press conerence, central
leader o ANP Senator Asandyar \ali Khan Sunday said that concrete
measures would be taken or promotion o undiluted democracy,
establishment o independence judiciary, ree media and elimination o
poerty. le said protection o human rights, and economic, social and political
deelopment would be the top priority o ANP. 1he maniesto owed better
relations with time tested riend China, neighbouring India and United States
o America besides soling the core issue o Jammu and Kashmir through
dialogue. I oted to power, he said the party would change the name o the
proince as 'Pukhtunkhwa', merge lA1A with the proince with due
representation in N\lP assembly. Senator Asandyar \ali said that that his
party will work or establishment o peaceul, progressie, moderate and
balanced society besides ensuring equal rights to ederating units.

Darv, December 16, 200
http:,,www.dawn.com,200,12,16,rss.htm

MQM MANI FESTO
MQM ANNOUNCES 17-POI NT MANI FESTO

1he MQM has announced a 1-point maniesto or the elections in which its
banner slogan is Lmpowerment or All.`
Amn, 1araqi, Khushhali,` ,Peace, Progress, and Prosperity`, is also
a slogan part o the MQM`s campaign. But the 3 Ps hae created conusion
since they also stand or the PPP. 1he MQM`s Dr larooq Sattar read out the
maniesto at a press conerence at Lal Qila Ground near the party
headquarters Nine Zero on 1hursday.
1he second largest party o Sindh has ocussed on proincial
autonomy or all the ederating units in its 16-page maniesto that starts with a
quote by party ounder Alta lussain. 1he MQM demands proincial
autonomy or all the ederating units o Pakistan as deined in the resolution
passed by the All India Muslim League on the 23rd o March 1940 in Lahore
which is known as the Pakistan Resolution,` Alta urged.
Sattar said proincial autonomy is sine qua non or a ederation and
the lack o it is the biggest cause o disharmony and distrust between the units.
1he MQM wants a national dialogue and consensus among the units to settle
this issue in a way that ulils the aspirations o the people o the smaller
proinces in particular. 1he MQM wants the ederation to retain Deence,
loreign Aairs and Currency. All other subjects should all in the domain o
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16
the units,` Sattar said, adding that this might be attained through constitutional
measures.
1he MQM also proposed an Inter-Proincial Council.
Lducation is second on the maniesto with the MQM wanting 2.2
o the GDP or its budget increased to 5 during the next ie years. A
minimum o 20 o the proincial and district goernment reenue
expenditure should be allocated or education,` Sattar urged. Lducation
should be compulsory or each child and ree till Matriculation. 1he proposed
salary or teachers must be reised to aboe 3 inlation each year.
1he maniesto`s third point on lealth includes a pledge that
expenditure would be increased rom 0.6 to 4 o GDP during the next ie
years.
Sattar said lealth or All` remained a slogan that needed to be shaped
into projects such as a Lier Institute, 1rauma Centre and 1elemedicine
serice, Mother and Child Care Centres with breast-screening acility in each
district, cadaer banks, the restoration o 2,400 unused Basic lealth Units and
Rural lealth Centres and the abolition o import taxes on medicines and
customs duties or medical equipment. le said that the goernment would
negotiate with multinational pharmaceutical companies or a reduction in
prices.
In the ourth point, the preailing eudal system should be abolished
and eectie land reorms be made by ixing a reasonable ceiling. Proposed
agricultural reorms include a 60 share o cultiators ,laris,Muzaray,,
district-leel microinance credit, goernment land or landless cultiators,
reision o the agricultural tenancy laws, promotion or agro-based industries
in rural areas with incenties, the lining o water channels and the remodelling
o the irrigation system, the computerisation o reenue records, the
protection and promotion o orestry, incenties or lie-stock breeding,
deelopment o inland and marine isheries, etc. New dams should be
constructed with consensus. 1he gap between wage rise and inlation must be
narrowed and the goernment should ocus on distribution o assets,
economic opportunities or all. Social security schemes would be introduced.
City nazims: 1he party wants unity o command or urban centres
with the city district nazim controlling traic, municipal serices and reenue
collection.
1he party wants an independent, impartial and autonomous judiciary,
proposes community policing and that the police work under and an elected
police commissioner. Lnironment riendly buses and a priately-run but
regulated rapid mass transit system are also proposed.
Lqual concentration will be paid to manuacturing consumer goods
and light and heay industries to encourage inestment. Reduction o non-
deelopment expenditure, an increase in the ratio o direct taxes to indirect
taxes, proincial collection o GS1 and Lxcise 1ax, an independent National

1
linance Commission and a reersal o written-o loans are pledged in eighth
point.
1he ederal and proincial cabinets, instead o the PM and CMs, need
to take all policy decisions, said the ninth point. 1he party also owed
representation to minorities - at least 5 o the total strength in the
assemblies. 1here must be an independent oreign policy with a pledge to
promote close, riendly and honourable relations with all countries especially
our neighbours, including the settlement o the Kashmir issue through
meaningul and sincere dialogue according to the wishes o the Kashmiri
people.

Dait, 1ive., December 14, 200
http:,,www.dailytimes.com.pk,deault.asppage~200`12`14`story_14-12-
200_pg_10

MMA MANI FESTO
MMA MANI FESTO SI LENT ON RESTORATI ON OF JUDI CI ARY

In a marked shit rom its ot-repeated stance on the restoration o the sacked
judges o the superior judiciary, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ,MMA, has
restricted itsel merely to promising an independent judiciary in its yet-to-be-
announced maniesto, Daily 1imes learnt on Sunday.
1he MMA Supreme Council has approed the maniesto that has
been prepared by a six-member committee consisting o Pro Sajid Mir,
Maulana Abdul Ghaoor laideri, Liaquat Baloch, Allama Syed Abdul Jalil
Naqi, Pir Ljaz lashmi and Maulana Abdul Shakoor Naqshbandi.
In the document, the alliance promises an end to the role o the
military and intelligence agencies in the country`s political aairs. It states that
it will gie due` status to the detained nuclear scientists ater coming into
power. 1he alliance also promises to restore the 193 Constitution to its
original orm and claims to discourage the re-employment o retired ciil and
military oicers. 1he maniesto`s salient eatures deal with constitutional
reorms, the judiciary, law and order, women`s rights protection, and the
country`s deence, oreign and inance policies.
Constitutional reorms: 1he maniesto contains a heay agenda o
constitutional reorms, which includes restoring the 193 Constitution to its
original orm, the establishment o an independent Llection Commission, and
achieing a balance between the powers o the president and prime minister.
It also adocates appointing judges to the superior judiciary based on
merit instead o political considerations and the constitution o a high leel
committee consisting o the president, the prime minister, the leader o the
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18
opposition in the National Assembly and the chie justice o Pakistan, to
appoint superior court judges.
Law and order: 1he maniesto says that the MMA would rid the
country o sectarianism and bring peace to the 1ribal Areas and Balochistan
through dialogue. 1he alliance was also silent on its preious demand to kill
the \omen`s Protection Act o 2006 and instead stressed upon the
establishment o a special department to sole the problems being aced by
women. azaz syed

200_pg_3

JAMI AT ULEMA-I -I SLAM (SAMI UL HAQ) MANI FESTO
ELECTI ON MANI FESTO LAUNCHED

1he Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam ,Samiul laq, issued its election maniesto on
Saturday, which promised support or moements or the promulgation o
Sharia in Muslim countries.
1he maniesto declared that only men were eligible to become
presidents and prime ministers and non-Muslims could not be appointed to
key posts. Islam, it said, would be declared as the state religion, while all
Muslims would be required to undergo military training.
1he maniesto, released rom the party`s secretariat in Akora Khattak
in Nowshera, said education would be ree or all up to the secondary leel
and co-education would be discouraged. 1he party would set up separate
institutions or women, including uniersities, across the country.
Arabic would be declared a compulsory subject while Lnglish would
be an optional one. 1he party, i it came to power, would ban usury and
introduce an Islamic banking system.
Minimum wages would be Rs3,000 a month. 1he judicial system
would be brought into conormity with the Sharia laws, said the maniesto.-
Bureau Report

Darv, December 09, 200
http:,,www.dawn.com,200,12,09,nat6.htm

TEXT OF THE CHARTER OF DEMOCRACY

1he ollowing is the text o the Charter o Democracy signed by ormer prime
ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Shari here on Sunday:


19
\e the elected leaders o Pakistan hae deliberated on the political crisis in our
beloed homeland, the threats to its surial, the erosion o the ederation's
unity, the military's subordination o all state institutions, the marginalisation
o ciil society, the mockery o the Constitution and representatie
institutions, growing poerty, unemployment and inequality, brutalisation o
society, breakdown o rule o law and, the unprecedented hardships acing our
people under a military dictatorship, which has pushed our beloed country to
the brink o a total disaster,
Noting the most deastating and traumatic experiences that our
nation experienced under military dictatorships that played haoc with the
nation's destiny and created conditions disallowing the progress o our people
and the lowering o democracy. Len ater remoal rom oice they
undermined the people`s mandate and the soereign will o the people,
Drawing history`s lesson that the military dictatorship and the nation
cannot co-exist - as military inolement adersely aect the economy and the
democratic institutions as well as the deence capabilities, and the integrity o
the country - the nation needs a new direction dierent rom a militaristic and
regimental approach o the Bonapartist regimes, as the current one,
1aking serious exception to the iliication campaign against the
representaties o the people, in particular, and the ciilians, in general, the
ictimisation o political leaders,workers and their media trials under a
Draconian law in the name o accountability, in order to diide and eliminate
the representatie political parties, to Gerrymander a king's party and concoct
legitimacy to prolong the military rule,
Noting our responsibility to our people to set an alternatie direction
or the country saing it rom its present predicaments on an economically
sustainable, socially progressie, politically democratic and pluralist, ederally
cooperatie, ideologically tolerant, internationally respectable and regionally
peaceul basis in the larger interests o the peoples o Pakistan to decide once
or all that only the people and no one else has the soereign right to goern
through their elected representaties, as conceied by the democrat par
excellence, lather o the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah,
Reairming our commitment to undiluted democracy and uniersally
recognised undamental rights, the rights o a ibrant opposition, internal party
democracy, ideological,political tolerance, bipartisan working o the
parliament through powerul committee system, a cooperatie ederation with
no discrimination against ederating units, the decentralisation and deolution
o power, maximum proincial autonomy, the empowerment o the people at
the grassroots leel, the emancipation o our people rom poerty, ignorance,
want and disease, the uplit o women and minorities, the elimination o
klashniko culture, a ree and independent media, an independent judiciary, a
neutral ciil serice, rule o law and merit, the settlement o disputes with the
neighbours through peaceul means, honouring international contracts,
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laws,coenants and soereign guarantees, so as to achiee a responsible and
ciilised status in the comity o nations through a oreign policy that suits our
national interests,
Calling upon the people o Pakistan to join hands to sae our
motherland rom the clutches o military dictatorship and to deend their
undamental, social, political and economic rights and or a democratic,
ederal, modern and progressie Pakistan as dreamt by the lounder o the
nation, hae adopted the ollowing, Charter o Democracy`,

A. Constitutional Amendments
1. 1he 193 Constitution as on 12th October 1999 beore the military
coup shall be restored with the proisions o joint electorates, minorities, and
women resered seats on closed party list in the Parliament, the lowering o
the oting age, and the increase in seats in parliament and the Legal
lramework Order, 2000 and the Seenteenth Constitutional Amendment shall
be repealed accordingly.
2. 1he appointment o the goernors, three serices chies and the
CJCSC shall be made by the chie executie who is the prime minister, as per
the 193 Constitution.
3. ,a, 1he recommendations or appointment o judges to superior
judiciary shall be ormulated through a commission, which shall comprise o
the ollowing: i. 1he chairman shall be a chie justice, who has neer
preiously taken oath under the PCO. ii. 1he members o the commission
shall be the chie justices o the proincial high courts who hae not taken
oath under the PCO, ailing which the senior most judge o that high court
who has not taken oath shall be the member iii. Vice-Chairmen o Pakistan
and Vice-Chairmen o Proincial Bar Association with respect to the
appointment o judges to their concerned proince i. President o Supreme
Court Bar Association . Presidents o ligh Court Bar Associations o
Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta with respect to the appointment o
judges to their concerned proince i. lederal Minister or Law and Justice i.
Attorney General o Pakistan ,a-i, 1he commission shall orward a panel o
three names or each acancy to the prime minister, who shall orward one
name or conirmation to joint parliamentary committee or conirmation o
the nomination through a transparent public hearing process. ,a-ii, 1he joint
parliamentary committee shall comprise o 50 per cent members rom the
treasury benches and the remaining 50 per cent rom opposition parties based
on their strength in the parliament nominated by respectie parliamentary
leaders. ,b, No judge shall take oath under any Proisional Constitutional
Order or any other oath that is contradictory to the exact language o the
original oath prescribed in the Constitution o 193. ,c, Administratie
mechanism will be instituted or the preention o misconduct,

21
implementation o code o ethics, and remoal o judges on such charges
brought to its attention by any citizen through the proposed commission or
appointment o Judges. ,d, All special courts including anti-terrorism and
accountability courts shall be abolished and such cases be tried in ordinary
courts. lurther to create a set o rules and procedures whereby, the arbitrary
powers o the chie justices oer the assignment o cases to arious judges and
the transer o judges to arious benches such powers shall be exercised by the
Chie Justice and two senior most judges sitting together.
4. A lederal Constitutional Court will be set up to resole constitutional
issues, giing equal representation to each o the ederating units, whose
members may be judges or persons qualiied to be judges o the Supreme
Court, constituted or a six-year period. 1he Supreme and ligh Courts will
hear regular ciil and criminal cases. 1he appointment o judges shall be made
in the same manner as or judges o higher judiciary.
5. 1he Concurrent List in the Constitution will be abolished. A new
NlC award will be announced.
6. 1he resered seats or women in the national and proincial
assemblies will be allocated to the parties on the basis o the number o otes
polled in the general elections by each party.
. 1he strength o the Senate o Pakistan shall be increased to gie
representation to minorities in the Senate.
8. lA1A shall be included in the N\lP proince in consultation with
them.
9. Northern Areas shall be deeloped by giing it a special status and
urther empowering the Northern Areas Legislatie Council to proide people
o Northern Areas access to justice and human rights.
10. Local bodies election will be held on party basis through proincial
election commissions in respectie proinces and constitutional protection will
be gien to the local bodies to make them autonomous and answerable to their
respectie assemblies as well as to the people through regular courts o law.

B. Code of Conduct
11. National Security Council will be abolished. Deence Cabinet
Committee will be headed by prime minister and will hae a permanent
secretariat. 1he prime minister may appoint a ederal security adiser to
process intelligence reports or the prime minister. 1he eicacy o the higher
deence and security structure, created two decades ago, will be reiewed. 1he
Joint Serices Command structure will be strengthened and made more
eectie and headed in rotation among the three serices by law. 12. 1he ban
on a prime minister not being eligible or a third term o oice` will be
abolished.
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13. ,a, 1ruth and Reconciliation Commission be established to
acknowledge ictims o torture, imprisonment, state-sponsored persecution,
targeted legislation, and politically motiated accountability. 1he commission
will also examine and report its indings on military coups and ciil remoals
o goernments rom 1996. ,b, A commission shall also examine and identiy
the causes o and ix responsibility and make recommendations in the light
thereo or incidences such as Kargil. ,c, Accountability o NAB and other
Lhtesab operators to identiy and hold accountable abuse o oice by NAB
operators through purgery and perersion o justice and iolation o human
rights since its establishment. ,d, 1o replace politically motiated NAB with an
independent accountability commission, whose chairman shall be nominated
by the prime minister in consultation with the leader o opposition and
conirmed by a joint parliamentary committee with 50 per cent members rom
treasury benches and remaining 50 per cent rom opposition parties in same
manner as appointment o judges through transparent public hearing. 1he
conirmed nominee shall meet the standard o political impartiality, judicial
propriety, moderate iews expressed through his judgements and would hae
not dealt.
14. 1he press and electronic media will be allowed its independence.
Access to inormation will become law ater parliamentary debate and public
scrutiny.
15. 1he chairmen o public accounts committee in the national and
proincial assemblies will be appointed by the leaders o opposition in the
concerned assemblies.
16. An eectie Nuclear Command and Control system under the
Deence Cabinet Committee will be put in place to aoid any possibility o
leakage or prolieration.
1. Peaceul relations with India and Aghanistan will be pursued without
prejudice to outstanding disputes.
18. Kashmir dispute should be settled in accordance with the UN
Resolutions and the aspirations o the people o Jammu and Kashmir.
19. Goernance will be improed to help the common citizen, by giing
access to quality social serices like education, health, job generation, curbing
price hike, combating illegal redundancies, and curbing laish spendings in ciil
and military establishments as ostentious causes great resentment amongst the
teeming millions. \e pledge to promote and practice simplicity, at all leels.
20. \omen, minorities, and the under priileged will be proided equal
opportunities in all walks o lie.
21. \e will respect the electoral mandate o representatie goernments
that accepts the due role o the opposition and declare neither shall undermine
each other through extra constitutional ways.

23
22. \e shall not join a military regime or any military sponsored
goernment. No party shall solicit the support o military to come into power
or to dislodge a democratic goernment.
23. 1o preent corruption and loor crossing all otes or the Senate and
indirect seats will be by open identiiable ballot. 1hose iolating the party
discipline in the poll shall stand disqualiied by a letter rom the parliamentary
party leader to the concerned Speaker or the Chairman Senate with a copy to
the Llection Commission or notiication purposes within 14 days o receipt
o letter ailing which it will be deemed to hae been notiied on the expiry o
that period.
24. All military and judicial oicers will be required to ile annual assets
and income declarations like Parliamentarians to make them accountable to
the public.
25. National Democracy Commission shall be established to promote and
deelop a democratic culture in the country and proide assistance to political
parties or capacity building on the basis o their seats in parliament in a
transparent manner.
26. 1errorism and militancy are by-products o military dictatorship,
negation o democracy, are strongly condemned, and will be igorously
conronted.

C. Iree and Iair Llections
2. 1here shall be an independent, autonomous, and impartial election
commission. 1he prime minister shall in consultation with leader o
opposition orward up to three names or each position o chie election
commissioner, members o election commission, and secretary to joint
parliamentary committee, constituted on the same pattern as or appointment
o judges in superior judiciary, through transparent public hearing process. In
case o no consensus, both prime minister and leader o opposition shall
orward separate lists to the joint parliamentary committee or consideration.
Proincial election commissioner shall be appointed on the same pattern by
committees o respectie proincial assemblies.
28. All contesting political parties will be ensured a leel playing ield in
the elections by the release o all political prisoners and the unconditional
return o all political exiles. Llections shall be open to all political parties and
political personalities. 1he graduation requirement o eligibility which has led
to corruption and ake degrees will be repealed.
29. Local bodies elections will be held within three months o the holding
o general elections.
30. 1he concerned election authority shall suspend and appoint neutral
administrators or all local bodies rom the date o ormation o a caretaker
goernment or holding o general elections till the elections are held.
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31. 1here shall be a neutral caretaker goernment to hold ree, air, and
transparent elections. 1he members o the said goernment and their
immediate relaties shall not contest elections.

D. Civil - Military Relations
32. 1he ISI, MI and other security agencies shall be accountable to the
elected goernment through Prime Minister Sectt, Ministry o Deence, and
Cabinet Diision respectiely. 1heir budgets will be approed by DCC ater
recommendations are prepared by the respectie ministry. 1he political wings
o all intelligence agencies will be disbanded. A committee will be ormed to
cut waste and bloat in the armed orces and security agencies in the interest o
the deence and security o the country. All senior postings in these agencies
shall be made with the approal o the goernment through respectie
ministry.
33. All indemnities and saings introduced by military regimes in the
constitution shall be reiewed.
34. Deence budget shall be placed beore the parliament or debate and
approal.
35. Military land allotment and cantonment jurisdictions will come under
the puriew o deence ministry. A commission shall be set up to reiew,
scrutinise, and examine the legitimacy o all such land allotment rules,
regulations, and policies, along with all cases o state land allotment including
those o military urban and agricultural land allotments since 12th October,
1999 to hold those accountable who hae indulged in malpractices,
proiteering, and aouritism.
36. Rules o business o the ederal and proincial goernments shall be
reiewed to bring them in conormity with parliamentary orm o goernment.

Darv, May 16, 2006
http:,,www.dawn.com,2006,05,16,local23.htm

TEXT OF NATI ONAL RECONCI LI ATI ON ORDI NANCE

President General Perez Musharra on lriday promulgated an ordinance to
promote national reconciliation. 1his ordinance shall be called the National
Reconciliation Ordinance 200 and shall come into orce at once. lollowing is
the text o the ordinance:

AN ORDINANCL to promote national reconciliation`
\lLRLAS it is expedient to promote national reconciliation, oster mutual
trust and conidence amongst holders o public oice and remoe the estiges
o political endetta and ictimisation, to make the election process more

25
transparent and to amend certain laws or that purpose and or matters
connected therewith and ancillary thereto:
AND \lLRLAS the National Assembly is not in session and the
president is satisied that circumstances exist, which render it necessary to take
immediate action,
NO\, 1lLRLlORL, in exercise o the powers conerred by clause
,1, o Article ,89, o the Constitution o the Islamic Republic o Pakistan, the
president is pleased to make and promulgate the ollowing Ordinance:
1 Short title and commencement.
,1, 1his ordinance may be called the National Reconciliation
Ordinance, 200
,2, It shall come into orce at once.
2. Amendment o section 494, Act V o 1898.
In the Code o Criminal Procedure, 1898 ,Act V o 1898,, section 494 shall be
renumbered as sub-section
,1, thereo and ater sub-section ,1, renumbered as aoresaid, the
ollowing sub-section ,2, and ,3, shall be added, namely:
,2, Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in sub-section,1,, the
ederal goernment or a proincial goernment may, beore the
judgment is pronounced by a trial court, withdraw rom the
prosecution o any person including an absconding accused who
is ound to be alsely inoled or political reasons or through
political ictimization in any case initiated between 1st day o
January, 1986 to 12th day o October, 1999 and upon such
withdrawal clause ,a, and clause ,b, o sub-section ,1, shall apply.
,3, lor the purposes o exercise o powers under sub-section ,2, the
ederal goernment and the proincial goernment may each
constitute a reiew board to reiew the entire record o the case
and urnish recommendations as to their withdrawal or otherwise.
,4, 1he reiew board in case o lederal Goernment shall be headed
by a retired judge o the Supreme Court with Attorney-General
and lederal Law Secretary as its members and in case o
Proincial Goernment it shall be headed by a retired judge o the
high court with Adocate-General and,or Prosecutor-General
and Proincial Law Secretary as its members.
,5, A reiew board undertaking reiew o a case may direct the public
prosecutor or any other authority concerned to urnish to it the
record o the case.`
3. Amendment o section 39, Act LXXXV o 196.- ,1, In the
Representation o the People Act, 196 ,LXXXV o 196,, in section 39, ater
sub-section ,6,, the ollowing new sub-section ,, shall be added, namely:
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,, Ater consolidation o results the Returning Oicer shall gie to
such contesting candidates and their election agents as are present during the
consolidation proceedings, a copy o the result o the count notiied to the
commission immediately against proper receipt and shall also post a copy
thereo to the other candidates and election agents`.
4. Amendment o section 18, Ordinance XVIII o 1999.
In the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 ,XVIII o 1999,,
hereinater reerred to as the said Ordinance, in section 18, in clause ,e,, or
the ull stop at the end a colon shall be substituted and thereater the ollowing
proiso shall be added, namely:
Proided that no sitting member o Parliament or a Proincial
Assembly shall be arrested without taking into consideration the
recommendations o the Special Parliamentary Committee on Lthics reerred
to in clause ,aa, or Special Committee o the Proincial Assembly on Lthics
reerred to in clause ,aaa, o section 24, respectiely.`
5. Amendment o section 24, Ordinance XVIII o 1999.
In the said ordinance, in section 24, ,i, in clause ,a, or the ull stop at
the end a colon shall be substituted and thereater the ollowing proiso shall
be inserted, namely.
Proided that no sitting member o Parliament or a Proincial
Assembly shall be arrested without taking into consideration the
recommendations o Special Parliamentary Committee on Lthics or Special
Committee o the Proincial Assembly on Lthics reerred to in clause ,aa, and
,aaa,, respectiely, beore which the entire material and eidence shall be
placed by the chairman, NAB.`, and ,ii, ater clause ,a,, amended as aoresaid,
the ollowing new clauses ,aa, and ,aaa, shall be inserted, namely,
,aa, 1he Special Parliamentary Committee on Lthics reerred to in the
proiso to clause ,a, aboe shall consist o a chairman who shall be a member
o either louse o Parliament and eight members each rom the National
Assembly and Senate to be selected by the Speaker, National Assembly and
Chairman Senate, respectiely, on the recommendations o Leader o the
louse and Leader o the Opposition o their respectie houses, with equal
representation rom both sides.
,aaa, 1he Special Committee o the Proincial Assembly on Lthics
shall consist o a chairman and eight members to be selected by the Speaker o
the Proincial Assembly on the recommendation o Leader o the louse and
Leader o the Opposition, with equal representation rom both sides.`
6. Amendment o section 31A, Ordinance XVIII o 1999.
In the said Ordinance, in section 31A, in clause ,a,, or the ull stop at
the end a colon shall be substituted and thereater the ollowing new clause
,aa, shall be inserted, namely:
,aa, An order or judgment passed by the Court in absentia against an
accused is oid ab initio and shall not be acted upon.`

2
. Insertion o new section, Ordinance, XVIII o 1999.
In the said Ordinance, ater section 33, the ollowing new section shall
be inserted, namely:
33A. \ithdrawal and termination o prolonged pending proceedings
initiated prior to 12th October, 1999.
,1, Notwithstanding anything contained in this Ordinance or any
other law or the time being in orce, proceedings under inestigation or
pending in any court including a high court and the Supreme Court o
Pakistan initiated by or on a reerence by the National Accountability Bureau
inside or outside Pakistan, including proceedings continued under section 33,
requests or mutual assistance and ciil party to proceedings initiated by the
lederal Goernment beore the 12th day o October, 1999 against holders o
public oice stand withdrawn and terminated with immediate eect and such
holders o public oice shall also not be liable to any action in uture as well
under this Ordinance or acts haing been done in good aith beore the said
date,
Proided that those proceedings shall not be withdrawn and
terminated which relate to cases registered in connection with the cooperatie
societies and other inancial and inestment companies or in which no appeal,
reision or constitutional petition has been iled against inal judgment and
order o the Court or in which an appellate or proisional order or an order in
constitutional petition has become inal or in which oluntary return or plea
bargain has been accepted by the Chairman, National Accountability Bureau
under section 25 or recommendations o the Conciliation Committee hae
been accepted by the Goernor, State bank o Pakistan under section 25A.
,2, No action or claim by way o suit, prosecution, complaint or other
ciil or criminal proceeding shall lie against the lederal, Proincial or Local
Goernment, the National Accountability Bureau or any o their oicers and
unctionaries or any act or thing done or intended to be done in good aith
pursuant to the withdrawal and termination o cases under sub-section ,1,
unless they hae deliberately misused authority in iolation o law.`

1be êr., October 11, 200
http:,,www.thenews.com.pk,daily_detail.aspid~5001

MUSHARRAF DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY

1he Pakistani leader, Gen. Perez Musharra, declared a state o emergency on
Saturday night, suspending the country`s Constitution, blacking out all
independent teleision news reports and illing the streets o the capital with
police oicers and soldiers.
1he moe appeared to be an eort by General Musharra to reassert
his ading power in the ace o growing opposition rom the country`s
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Supreme Court, ciilian political parties and hard-line Islamists. Pakistan`s
Supreme Court was expected to rule within days on the legality o General
Musharra`s re-election last month as the country`s president, which
opposition groups hae said was improper.
1he emergency declaration was in direct deiance o repeated calls this
week rom senior American oicials, including Secretary o State Condoleezza
Rice, not to do so. A day earlier, the senior American military commander in
the Middle Last, Admiral \illiam J. lallon, told General Musharra and his
top generals in a meeting here that declaring emergency rule would jeopardize
the extensie American inancial support or the Pakistani military.
Ms. Rice personally interened twice in the past our months to try to
keep General Musharra rom imposing emergency rule, telephoning him at 2
a.m. Pakistani time in August. On Saturday, while traeling to 1urkey or an
Iraq security conerence, she reinorced that message, saying, I think it would
be quite obious that the United States wouldn`t be supportie o extra-
constitutional means."
Soon ater independent teleision stations went blank in the capital,
just ater 5 p.m., dozens o police orces surrounded the Supreme Court
building, with justices still inside, as well as the chie justice`s home. 1he
justices were ordered to sign a proisional constitutional order` enabling the
emergency decree, according to \estern diplomats, with the goernment
leaing implicit that any justices ailing to do so would be dismissed.
At least 6 o the court`s 11 justices gathered in the court and rejected
the order, according to an aide to Chie Justice Itikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Aitzaz Ahsan, a prominent lawyer, who led protests against General Musharra
this spring, was detained by the police ater saying that opposition groups
would announce a schedule on Monday o nationwide strikes and protests.
Beore being detained, he accused General Musharra o criminal
louting o the Constitution,` adding that the people and the lawyers cannot
be suspended.`
General Musharra was expected to speak on national teleision late
on Saturday eening. Pakistani goernment oicials said lriday that
emergency rule could be justiied because o clashes in the past week between
security orces and Islamic militants in the Swat Valley, in the North-\est
lrontier Proince, and because o the increasing number o suicide attacks
against military and police installations.
As o 9 p.m., Chie Justice Chaudhry and the other justices had gone
to their homes, surrounded by police and with the phone lines cut, witnesses
and oicials said.
Analysts said the emergency-rule decree in eect was the declaring o
martial law, because there were no constitutional proisions allowing or such
an order. 1his is the imposition o real military rule, because there is no
Constitution and Pakistan is being run under proisional constitutional order

29
issued by Musharra as the army chie, not as the president o Pakistan,` said
lasan Askari Rizi, an expert on Pakistani military aairs.
General Musharra resorted to military power to gain the presidency
in October 1999 when he staged a bloodless coup, and Mr. Rizi said this was
a return to those measures. 1his is the irst time Musharra has brought in
military rule to sustain himsel in power,` he said. le elt threatened by the
Supreme Court.`
Mr. Chaudhry has been the ocal point o the opposition to General
Musharra since the president ired him rom the post last Boosted by support
rom lawyers, judges and a wide public ollowing, Mr. Chaudhry led a street-
style political campaign against his summary iring that helped uel the growing
popular sentiment against General Musharra.
1he Supreme Court reinstated Mr. Chaudhry this summer, and in
September the Supreme Court ruled in aor o General Musharra, saying he
could run or re-election while still in uniorm.
But the ocus was again on Mr. Chaudhry this week as the deadline
drew closer or a decision on the legality o General Musharra`s re-election on
Oct. 6 by the national Parliament and our proincial assemblies.
Rumors were rie in Islamabad, the capital, all week that the court
might decide against the president or gie a muddied erdict that would leae
his position as president unclear.
1his eening, seeral lawyers and journalists said they belieed that
the opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, let Pakistan on 1hursday or Dubai in
the United Arab Lmirates ater realizing that General Musharra was planning
some orm o martial law.
Aides to Ms. Bhutto said she planned to ly back to Pakistan on
\ednesday eening, immediately ater hearing the emergency declaration was
made. Members o her political party condemned the emergency order.
Ms. Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan in mid-October under an
arrangement brokered by the United States and Britain, warned the
goernment on \ednesday that she was opposed to emergency rule. I
emergency is imposed, people will come out and resist it," she said.
She returned to Pakistan on Oct. 18 or the irst time in eight years on
the understanding that she would take part in elections expected early next
year. 1he Bush administration hoped that Ms. Bhutto would bring a
democratic ace to Pakistan een as it continued under the rule o General
Musharra, who has pledged to gie up his military post ater being sworn in
or another presidential term on No. 15.

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Jane Perlez contributed reporting rom Lahore, Pakistan, and lelene
Cooper rom Istanbul.

1be êr Yor/ 1ive., Noember 03, 200
http:,,www.nytimes.com,200,11,03,world,asia,04pakistan.htmlex~135142400
&en~ea20aa44802d&ei~5088&partner~rssnyt&emc~rss

SOOMRO TAKES OATH AS I NTERI M PM TODAY

Senate Chairman Muhammadmian Soomro will take oath as caretaker prime
minister ,PM, today ,lriday,.
President General Perez Musharra will administer the oath under
the interim Constitutional order, which will be ollowed by oaths rom the
interim cabinet, which stands at around 12 to 15 people.
Soomro, 5, a member o Musharra`s ruling Pakistan Muslim League,
will be responsible or guiding an interim administration to prepare or
elections promised by Musharra by January 9.
Cabinet consultations: Sources said that President Musharra met with
Soomro and consulted him regarding possible candidates or cabinet positions.
Larlier, the possible candidatures o ormer State Bank goernor Dr
Ishrat lussain, ormer priatisation minister laeez Sheikh, Pakistan`s
ambassador to the UAL Ahsanullah Khan and his brother Irshadullah Khan,
Moeen Azal and Itikhar lussain Shah, were being speculated or the post o
caretaker PM, but ater careul and intensie consultations, the Senate
chairman was deemed the most suitable, reported Online.
Sources said the cabinet would include renowned names such as
Senator Nisar Memon as minister o inormation and broadcasting, Lt Gen ,r,
lamid Nawaz as interior minister, Dr Ishrat lussain as inance minister,
Inamul laq as oreign minister, Syed Azal laider as minister or law, Abbas
Sararaz as minister or Kashmir Aairs and Northern Areas, Saleem Abbas
Jilani as minister or deence, ormer \APDA chairman 1ariq lameed as
minister or water and power and Salman 1aseer as minister or inormation
and technology. Besides these, names o Raja 1ride Roy, ormer secretary
Ljaz Rahim, lameed Darecho and Pir o 1aunsa Shari could also orm part
o the caretaker cabinet. 1hey would be allocated ministries later.
1he name o Justice ,r, Ijaz Nisar, a retired chie justice o the Lahore
ligh Court, hae also igured in the discussions or a top slot in the Punjab.
sta report

Dait, 1ive., Noember 16, 200
200_pg1_1


31
ELECTI ON PROCESS STARTS FROM TODAY

1he country will ote or the general elections on January 8, Chie Llection
Commissioner ,CLC, Justice ,r, Qazi Muhammad larooq announced on
1uesday.
le said the election process would start today ,\ednesday, with the
Llection Commission ,LC, accepting nomination papers rom Noember 21
till Noember 26. le said elections o both the national and proincial
assemblies would occur simultaneously. 1he scrutiny o nomination papers
will last rom Noember 2 till December 3. Appeals against the nominations
can be iled till December . Decisions on these appeals will be announced by
December 14. 1he candidates will then be allowed to withdraw nominations
by December 15 and the inal list o candidates will be published on
December 16.
Impartial polls: Announcing the date on state teleision, the CLC said
his oicials would ensure air and impartial polls. I appeal to the participants
and the oters to cooperate with the LC in holding the elections peaceully,`
he said. le asked people to ote without ear and urged women to use their
right to ote.
larooq said international obserers were welcome to monitor the
election process. 1hey will be allowed to isit all polling stations,` he added.
le said the LC would, or the irst time, use 430,000 transparent ballot boxes
procured through unding rom USAID.
Prisoner release: Separately, the LC ordered the release o all political
prisoners who want to take part in the elections.
President General Perez Musharra issued an ordinance on Oct 19,
2002, making it mandatory or candidates to appear in person beore the
returning oicial at the time o iling nomination papers. No exiled leaders,
including ormer premier Nawaz Shari and Shahbaz Shari, will be able to
contest the coming elections i they do not return home by Noember 26.

Iran Ghani, Dait, 1ive., Noember 21, 200
200_pg1_4

EC I NVI TES APPLI CATI ONS FOR ELECTI ON SYMBOLS

1he Llection Commission ,LC, o Pakistan has inited applications rom the
political parties or allocation o symbols or the January 8, 2008 general
elections.
1he LC, in a press statement, said the applications or allocation o
one o the symbols prescribed under Rule 9 o the Representation o the
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People ,Conduct o Llections, Rules, 19, signed by the party leader, should
reach the LC secretary on or beore Noember 28.
1he LC will allocate symbols to the applicants on the December 3.
1he LC press statement urther says that the applications should contain the
list o symbols applied or in order o preerence, symbol or symbols i any
allocated to the political party during the preious general elections. It said
eery application should be signed by the party leader. Besides address o the
head oice o the political party, name o party president, secretary-general
and other oice-bearers o the central executie committee and the numerical
strength o its members should also be mentioned in the application. 1he
applicants should also attach a copy o party maniesto and constitution o the
party and i the party was represented by a member or members in the
National Assembly or a proincial assembly, their names and other particulars
should also be proided along with the application.
Lery party would also hae to mention i it had conducted the intra-
party elections as required under Article 12 o the Political Parties Order, 2002.
1he LC statement says that incomplete applications or requests through ax
will not be entertained. All such parties, who hae applied prior to this
notiication, would hae to orward resh applications. sta report

Dait, 1ive., Noember 21, 200
200_pg_45

BOYCOTT OPTI ON STI LL OPEN: BB

Pakistan People`s Party ,PPP, Chairwoman Benzair Bhutto on \ednesday
expressed serious reserations about the transparency o the upcoming general
elections and said her party was keeping the option o boycott open.
1he ormer premier expressed her reserations during a series o
meetings with the ambassadors o 21 countries, including 18 rom Muslim
countries.
1he oreign enoys met Benazir to discuss the country`s political
scenario ater the ormation o a joint committee by the APDM and the ARD
to chalk out a charter o demands to ensure transparent polls or to boycott the
process.
Benazir brieed the ambassadors on Pakistan`s election history and
the arious pre-poll and post-pool maneuers and manipulations that the
establishment has used to obtain the results o their choice,` sources priy to
the meeting told Daily 1imes.
Rigging plans: 1hey said Benazir had also inormed the oreign enoys
about the massie` rigging plan initiated by the goernment. She talked about
judicial transers and postings, partial caretaker setup, the Llection

33
Commission, as well as preious chie ministers continuing to enjoy executie
powers,` sources said.
She also told the oreign enoys that the PPP was participating in the
polls in protest and was keeping the option o boycott open because her party
was being pushed to the wall` by the regime. \e do not want to boycott the
election process but at the same time, we want a leel playing ield or all
stakeholders in transparent elections,` she was quoted as saying to US
Ambassador Anne \ Patterson.
Adocate participation: 1he sources said that the oreign enoys had
adocated that the PPP participate in the polls or a smooth transition to
democracy and transer o power in the country.
According to Online`s sources, the main objectie behind the
meetings was to create a consensus on a one-point agenda between the
goernment and the opposition parties, regarding the upcoming general
elections in the country.
During the meetings, the ormer premier underlined that the PPP
alued Pakistan`s relations with other Islamic countries, adding that during her
tenure as premier o Pakistan, she had played a constructie role or the
betterment o Islamic Ummah.
During her talk with the US enoy, Benazir emphasised that the
plague o terrorism could not be countered without the restoration o
democracy. Online reported that Benazir said that ollowing the inalising o
the charter o demands, the ball will be in Musharra`s court. I he ails to
meet our demands, then we can go or other options including boycotting the
elections`.
Meanwhile, a press release issued by the PPP Media Centre stated that
Benazir had met seeral ambassadors rom a number o countries at her
residence in Islamabad and had exchanged iews on matters o common
interest.
She irst met the ambassadors o 18 Arab countries, who called on her
at her house. 1hese included ambassadors rom Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria,
Lgypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco, Iraq, Sudan, Algeria, Lebanon, Qatar and
\emen. Later, British ligh Commissioner Robert Ldward Brinkley and
Spanish ambassador Jose Maria Robles Graga also called on her separately.

Benazir met the US ambassador in Islamabad at the ambassador`s residence,
the release added.

Dait, 1ive., December 06, 200,
200_pg1_1

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1, 444 CANDI DATES FROM BALOCHI STAN TO CONTEST
POLLS

As many as 1,32 candidates rom Balochistan will be contesting or 82 seats
o the national and proincial assemblies ater the acceptance o their
nomination papers by the proincial oice o Llection Commission ,LC, o
Pakistan, while another 2 candidates` nomination papers hae been accepted
or the seats resered or women and minorities.
Besides Zubaida Jalal - who sered as a ederal minister or eight
consecutie years - the other 16 women who will contest or three resered
seats or women in the National Assembly ,NA, include Dr Noor Jahan
Panezai, laryal lussain Khan, Samina Khan, Rehana Bibi, \asmin Bibi,
Nazish Ayaz, Spozmai Achakzai, Sarita Dei, larah Azeem Shah, Bibi Zuhra,
Neelam Zalaand, larhana Nawaz, Bilquees Sai, Asiya Nasir and Aliya
Kamran.
1he 35 women whose papers are excepted or the 11 resered seats in
the Balochistan Assembly ,BA, include Samia Baloch, Rahila lameed Khan
Durrani, Sobia Kiran Kibzai, Nuzhat Itikhar, Shama Pareen Magsi, Rubina
Iran, Jamila Sultana, Dr lozia Nazeer Marri, Bibi Zarina, Samina Khan, Dr
Shama Ishaque, Samina Raziq, Shazia Naz, Dr Ruqayya Saeed lashmi,
Rukhsana Gul Kakar, Uzma Ahad, Rehana Bibi, Zeenat Baloch, \asmin Bibi,
Nazish Ayaz, lareeda Kakar, Salima Panezai, lalima Changezi, Spozmai
Achakzai, Ghazala Gola Begum, Saba Raisani, Proessor Naela Quadri, Samina
Saeed, Shabana Anjum, Rukhsana 1ariq, Shahida Rau, Azra Syed, Rabia
Ambar Adnan and laza Qazi.
1he 308 people contesting the elections or 14 NA seats hail rom the
ollowing constituencies:
NA-259, Quetta ,35 people hae had their nomination papers
approed here,, NA-260, Quetta-cum-Chagai-cum-Nushki ,28,, NA-261,
Pishin-cum-Ziarat ,24,, NA-262, Qila Abdullah ,16,, NA-263, Loralai-cum-
Musakhel-cum-Barkhan ,23,, NA-264, Zhob-cum-Sherani-cum-Qila Saiullah
,19,, NA-265, Sibi-cum-Kohlu-cum-Dera Bugti-cum-lernai ,12,, NA-266,
Nasirabad-cum-Jaarabad ,30,, NA-26, Bolan-cum-Jhal Magsi ,9,, NA-268,
Kalat-cum-Mastung ,21,, NA-269, Khuzdar ,25,, NA-20, Awaran-cum-
Lasbela ,15,, NA-21, Kharan-cum-\ashuk-cum-Panjgur ,25,, NA-22 and
Kech-cum-Gwadar ,26,. 1he numbers o nomination papers iled in 51
constituencies o Balochistan are as ollows, PB-1, Quetta-I ,33,, PB-2,
Quetta-II ,22,, PB-3, Quetta-III ,21,, PB-4, Quetta-IV ,38,, PB-5, Quetta-V
,42,, PB-6, Quetta-VI ,51,, PB-, Ziarat ,1,, PB-8, Pishin-I ,23,, PB-9, Pishin-
II ,21,, PB-10, Pishin-III ,31,, PB-11, Qila Abdullah-I ,15,, PB-12, Qila
Abdullah-II ,6,, PB-13, Qila Abdullah-III ,9,, PB-14, Loralai-I ,15,, PB-15,
Musakhel ,19,, PB-16, Loralai-II ,24,, PB-1, Barkhan ,11,, PB-18, Sherani-

35
cum-Zhob ,19,, PB-19, Zhob ,20,, PB-20, Qila Saiullah ,28,, PB-21, Sibi ,16,,
PB-22, larnai-cum-Sibi ,18,, PB-23, Kohlu ,14,, PB-24, Dera Bugti ,4,, PB-
25, Jaarabad-I.,21,, PB-26, Jaarabad-II ,34,, PB-2, Jaarabad-III ,26,, PB-
28, Nasirabad-I ,38,, PB-29, Nasirabad-II ,32,, PB-30, Bolan-I ,1,, PB-31,
Bolan-II ,,, PB-32, Jhal Magsi ,11,, PB-33, Khuzdar-I ,15,, PB-34, Khuzdar-
II ,3,, PB-35, Khuzdar-III ,19,, PB-36, Kalat-I ,21,, PB-3, Kalat-II ,22,, PB-
38, Mastung-cum-Quetta ,20,, PB-39, Chagai-I ,13,, PB-40, Nushki ,1,, PB-
41, Awaran ,10,, PB-42, Panjgur-I ,15,, PB-43, Panjgur-II ,11,, PB-44,
Lasbela-I ,8,, PB-45, Lasbela-II ,13,, PB-46, Kharan ,22,, PB-4, \ashuk ,21,,
PB-48, Kech-I ,26,, PB-49, Kech-II ,23,, PB-50, Kech-III ,21, and PB-51-
Gwadar ,2,.
1wenty-one non-Muslims hae been gien the green signal to run or
three resered seats or minorities in the BA. malik siraj akbar.

200_pg_19

46 PARTI ES ALLOTTED ELECTI ON SYMBOLS

1he Llection Commission ,LC, on Sunday allotted symbols to 46 political
parties or the January 8 election.
Major political parties - such as the Pakistan Muslim League ,PML-
Q,, the Pakistan Peoplee`s Party ,PPP,, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
,PML-N,, the Pakistan Muslim League-lunctional ,PML-l, and the Muttahida
Qaumi Moement ,MQM, - receied the bicycle`, the arrow`, the tiger`, the
lower` and the kite`, respectiely.
1he Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan ,MMAP, was allotted the
book` as a symbol ater a heated debate.
1he symbols were allotted during a meeting chaired by Chie Llection
Commissioner Qazi Muhammad larooq. LC members Justice Nasim Sikandar
and Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari, and representaties o oer 43 political
parties attended the meeting.
1he LC allotted symbols under Section 21 o the Representation o
the People Act, 196, read with Rule 9 o the Representation o the People
,Conduct o Llection, Rules, 19 and also Allocation o Symbols Order,
2002.
A total o 54 political parties had applied or symbols. 1he
applications o 12 parties were rejected or being incomplete. Lighteen parties
and alliances were allotted the same symbols as in the 2002 polls, while seen
parties had applied or the symbol o the moon`, which was inally awarded to
the lazara Democratic Party ater a draw.
1he remaining parties which were allotted symbols include the Awami
National Party ,lantern,, the Pakistan People`s Party-Sherpao ,lamp,, the
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36
Pakistan Muslim Alliance ,ish,, the Pakistan Ghareeb Party ,chair,, the
Pakistan Ittehad-e-1ehreek ,butterly,, the Pakhtoonkhawa Milli Awami Party
,tree,, the National People`s Party ,tractor,, the Pakistan Aman Party ,doe,,
the Pakistan Qaumi League ,knie,, the Sindh United Party ,car,, the Pasban
party ,horse,, the Bedar Pakistan party ,ship,, the Pakistan Citizens Moement
,tower,, the Sunni 1ehreek party ,table lamp,, the Pakistan 1ehreek-e-Inqelab
,star,, the Pakistan Bachao Party ,pen,, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam ,ladder,, the
Pakistan Awami Party ,bulb,, the 1ehreek-e-Istiqlal ,sickle,, the National
Muslim League Mohasba ,eagle,, the Mohajir Kashmir Moement ,candle,, the
Pakistan Labour Party ,apple,, the 1ameer-e-Pakistan Party ,hammer,, the
1ehreek-e-Istiqlal Rehmat-Khan \ardag ,helicopter,, the Awami limayat
1ehreek Pakistan ,hockey,, the Jamaat-e-Ahl ladith Pakistan-Llahi Zaheer
,reoler,, the Pakistan Qaumi League ,key,, the Bedar Party ,airplane,, the
Pakistan Social Justice Party ,map,, the Pakistan Qaumi Party ,turban,, the
Azad Pakistan Party ,cow,, the Pakistan Muhaiz Party ,peacock,, the National
Party ,saw,, the Markazi Jamiat Ulema Pakistan-lK ,cap,, the Balochistan
National Party ,axe,, the Pakistan Brohi Party ,slingshot, and the Roshan
Pakistan Party ,bat,.
Book` allotted to MMA: Larlier, the LC had not released the inal
notiication o allotting the book` symbol to the MMA, ater the ANP, the
PPP and the PkMAP raised objections that the symbol had been misused
during the 2002 polls as the holy Quran to exploit the religious emotions o
the oters, reported APP.
1hey described the book symbol as the holy Quran and sought otes
in the name o the holy Book,` PPP MNA candidate rom Rawalpindi, Amir
lida Piracha, objected during the process o symbols` allocation.
PkMAP Senator Raza Muhammad Raza also raised an objection,
which was seconded by the ANP representatie, demanding that the book`
not be considered as a symbol or the MMA.
Symbols or the remaining parties were issued during the day and the
decision to allocate the symbol o the book` to the MMA was announced
when the LC issued the inal list o the political parties who were gien
symbols. 1he LC, in its notiication, said that i the MMA decided to boycott
the polls, then the book` symbol would be allocated to the Jamiat Ulema-e-
Islam-lazl. It said, in that eentuality, the JUI-l head would issue certiicates
with regard to the symbol in question to the contesting candidates.
Similarly, when the LC accepted the PML-Q`s request or the bicycle`
symbol, the PML-N and the PML-l raised the objection that it should not be
called the Pakistan Muslim League, as the party had contested the 2002
elections as the PML ,Quaid-e-Azam,. It was allotted the symbol in the 2002
elections under the name o the Pakistan Muslim League ,Quaid-e-Azam or
Q,. \riting it as Pakistan Muslim League would be conusing and damage the
cause o the other PML actions,` said Syed Zaar Ali Shah.

3
1he PML-Q representatie contested that the party has been
registered with the LC as Pakistan Muslim League. 1he CLC obsered that the
name o the party as written on the symbols list is the same as the name the
party is registered under.
1he LC, howeer, did not allot any election symbols to our political
parties. According to Online, the Jamhoori \atan Party, the Qaumi Mohaz
Pakistan party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Qasim, and the Qaumi Mohaz
Party were not awarded any symbols because their papers were incomplete.
\ith the allocation o the symbols, the LC has completed the third
phase ater iling o nomination papers and their scrutiny. 1he process o
hearing the appeals by the tribunals against acceptance or rejection o
nomination continues and would be completed by December 14. December
15 is the date or withdrawal o candidature with LC issuing the inal list o the
candidates on December 16, which would lead to a ully ledged election
campaign till the day o polling on January 08, 2008. sta report,agencies.

200_pg_1

COALI TI ON WI TH N POSSI BLE BUT NOT WI TH Q: BENAZI R

lormer prime minister Benazir Bhutto expects the Pakistan People`s Party to
pick up additional seats in the January elections, but will hae to enter into a
coalition to create a ruling majority, Reuters quoted 1he \ashington 1imes as
reporting on \ednesday.
Benazir said coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would
be possible, but ruled out an alliance with those controlled by President Perez
Musharra or Muslim clerics, the newspaper reported.
No one will accept a Q ictory,` she said, reerring to Musharra`s
wing o the Pakistan Muslim League.
le has no support in the country. 1hey |Musharra and allies| must
ask the police, utilities and hospital sta to come to rallies,` Online reported
Benazir as telling the newspaper amid a campaign appearance in Mardan.
1his was Benazir`s irst interiew since the Llection Commission
struck down challenges to her candidacy on Monday. She expressed
satisaction - but not surprise - that the commission cleared away the last
obstacle to her returning or oice. I hae not been conicted o any crime,`
she said, rejecting all accusations against her and her amily as being politically
motiated`.
Musharra said he was ready to cooperate with any party.
I would like to try to work with anyone who comes to power ater
the elections,` Reuters quoted him as telling Al Jazeera.
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38
Illegal support: Benazir said the only way the president`s party would
pick up otes is with illegal support rom goernment oicials, and repeated
requent demand that the elections be careully superised, 1he \ashington
1imes reported.
1he newspaper said Benazir stressed that both her party and the
PML-N remain sceptical that the January 8 balloting will be ree and air. It
takes more than the liting o the emergency,` she said. Agencies.

200_pg1_1

JUI -S ANNOUNCES POLLS BOYCOTT

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami ,JUI-S, on lriday announced to boycott the
January 8 elections.
\e hae decided to boycott the Jan 8 elections because we beliee
that in the absence o an independent judiciary and election commission one
can`t een imagine ree and air elections,` said JUI-S chie Maulana Samiul
laq at a press conerence here at Parliament louse.
Sami said he had taken the decision ater consulting his party. le
accused that Pakistan People`s Party, Pakistan Muslim League ,N,, Pakistan
Muslim League, Muttahida Qaumi Moement ,MQM,, Awami National Party
,ANP, and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal ,MMA, were ollowing the secular
agenda o President Perez Musharra. le said the breakup o MMA and
Nawaz Shari`s U-turn on elections boycott showed that international powers
were pursuing a hidden agenda in Pakistan.
Reerring to a statement o US Secretary o State Condoleezza Rice
that the US would preer organizing moderates to extremists, Sami said it
clearly showed that elections were being held on US directions. Answering a
question, Sami said he was ready to join any opposition alliance including the
All Parties Democratic Moement ,APDM,, which was struggling or
restoration o the Constitution and democracy in the country.

200_pg_15


39
AROUND 127 JI CANDI DATES TO WI THDRAW NOMI NATI ONS
TODAY

lollowing the directies o Jamaat-e-Islami ,JI, Chie Qazi lussain Ahmad,
around 12 party candidates rom the proincial and tribal areas will withdraw
their nomination papers today ,Saturday,.
Around 80 party candidates or the N\lP Assembly, 35 or the
National Assembly, and 12 JI contenders rom lA1A or the National
Assembly will withdraw their papers across the rontier proince. Similarly,
dozens o Pakistan 1ehrik-e-Insa ,P1I, candidates and lrontier lawyers will
withdraw their nomination papers submitted or national and proincial
assemblies.
JI Ameer Qazi lussain Ahmad has directed all JI candidates across
the country to withdraw their nomination papers at 10 am on Saturday,`
\lP JI Naib Ameer Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said. I am on the way to
Swabi to withdraw my nomination papers iled or Pl-32 and NA-12,`
Mushtaq told Daily 1imes.
JI Proincial General Secretary and ormer MNA Shabir Ahmad
Khan will lead the JI candidates` procession rom the party oice at Nishtar
Abad to the lower courts, rom where the candidates will approach the
concerned returning oicers to withdraw their nominations.
\es, we will stage protests on the premises o the returning oicers`
courts in all districts o the proince to boycott the unlawul January
elections,` Shabir Ahmad Khan, a JI-candidate rom NA-1, told Daily 1imes.
lollowing Imran Khan`s directies, P1I candidates across the N\lP
will also withdraw their candidature or the national and proincial assembly
seats.
P1I`s Adocate Mohammad Arshad, a candidate or Pl-10, Peshawar,
told Daily 1imes that all P1I candidates would withdraw their nomination
papers across the proince today to boycott the general elections as a protest.
Similarly, dozens o N\lP lawyers, who were planning to contest
rom opposition parties, will withdraw their nomination papers in protest
against President Peraiz Musharra`s extra-constitutional acts: remoing
judges, appointing new judges under the PCO, and declaring a state o
emergency.`

200_pg_1

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EMERGENCY GOES, CONSTI TUTI ON RETURNS

President Perez Musharra lited the state o emergency on Saturday, reoked
the Proisional Constitution Order ,PCO, and restored the 193 Constitution
with certain amendments that will be ratiied by the next parliament through a
legal ramework order ,LlO,.
1he remoal o the PCO restored all the undamental rights that had
been suspended since the imposition o emergency 42 days ago.
1he president issued three presidential orders - the Reocation o
Proclamation o Lmergency Order 200, the Repeal o Proisional
Constitution Order and the Reial o Constitution Order - which stated
that the constitution, as amended through the Constitution ,Amendment,
Order, 200, and the Constitution ,Second Amendment, Order, 200, will
stand reied..
Nothing suspended: 1he ,193, Constitution stands amended and
nothing remains in suspension,` Attorney General ,AG, Malik Qayyum told
Daily 1imes when asked i any o the articles o the constitution were still
suspended, een ater the reocation o the PCO. During the 42-day
suspension o the constitution, the president made seeral amendments that
were all inculcated in the amended constitution. Qayyum claimed that none o
these amendments needed parliament`s ratiication. President Musharra made
amendments to the constitution on Noember 21 to proide legal coer to
holding the constitution in abeyance, imposing emergency rule and issuing the
PCO.
Saed the nation: Later, addressing the nation on radio and teleision,
President Perez Musharra said that his emergency rule had saed Pakistan, as
he owed to hold ree, air and transparent elections on time and urged the
political parties and the nation to aoid the politics o agitation.
lree and transparent: It is my commitment to the entire nation and
the world that the election on January 8 will be on time and will be absolutely
ree and transparent, he said. le regretted that some political parties hae
announced boycott o the election. 1hese political parties hae no reason to
boycott the election,` he said. le said some political leaders had started to talk
o rigging een beore the start o the election campaign. 1his is all baseless
and they must desist rom it,` he added. le said the goernment would inite
any number o oreign obserers to come and watch the airness o the polls.
le appealed to all the political parties to maintain peace during the
election, and urged the nation not to participate in any street agitation. le also
appealed to the nation to ully participate in the election.
1he president said that those who lose the January 8 polls must aoid
leelling baseless allegations. Reerring to his decision to impose emergency
and the PCO, he said he was ery saddened that the smooth transition to

41
ciilian democracy, underway in three stages rom 1999, was obstructed
through a conspiracy. le said the conspiracy was meant to destabilise the
country.
Relie package: le said it was the irst time in the country`s history
that emergency was being lited ater only 42 days. le said there has been
considerable improement in the past 42 days, adding that terrorism that had
spread into N\lP had now been stopped. le also announced that a relie
package would soon be announced or the people o Swat. le said now there
was complete harmony among the three pillars o the state - the judiciary, the
parliament and the executie.

200_pg1_1

AI TZAZ WI THDRAWS NOMI NATI ON PAPERS

Supreme Court Bar Association ,SCBA, President Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan on
Saturday withdrew his nomination papers or NA-124 to protest the non-
restoration o the sacked superior judiciary. Aitzaz`s associate Adocate
Shaukat Ali Jaed and wie Bushra Aitzaz withdrew his papers as he is
presently in jail. Aitzaz has always preerred a collectie cause oer personal
beneits,` Bushra said to a query on election boycott iz-a-iz the Pakistan
People`s Party`s stance, while talking to reporters at Aiwan-e-Adal courts.
Separately in Rawalpindi, senior adocate Ali Ahmed Kurd withdrew his
nomination papers iled or two NA constituencies, NA-55 and NA-56, in
Rawalpindi, APP reported. 1wo other lawyers, 1ariq Mehmood and \asi Ali,
also withdrew their papers. sta report,app

200_pg_2

NAHEED KHAN WI THDRAWS PAPERS

Political Secretary and close aide o PPP Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto Naheed
Khan has withdrawn her nomination papers or the women`s resered seats in
the elections in protest against the issuance o a party ticket to larah Naz
Isphahani, wie o lussain laqqani, it is learnt. Naheed Khan has withdrawn
her papers citing personal grounds, but in act she withdrew her nomination in
protest against the issuance o a ticket to larah Naz Isphahani,` a senior PPP
member told Daily 1imes on Sunday. It is learnt that the PPP irebrand
woman leader was upset oer the party`s decision to award a ticket to Isphani.
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42
I cannot sit with Isphahani in the parliament. I cannot bear this insult,`
Naheed Khan was quoted as saying by the party member. 1he ormer MNA is
known or giing tough time to the goernment in the National Assembly.
ler husband, Sadar Abbasi, is also a member o the Upper louse o the
Parliament. Asked how laqqani managed to arrange a party ticket or his wie,
the sources said that laqqani had deeloped great rapport with Asi Ali
Zardari. laqqani has been hosting and acilitating senior party leaders during
their isits to the US.` PPP`s spokesman larhatullah Babar said Naheed Khan
had withdrawn her papers due to party commitments. I will remain
committed to my party and leadership in any circumstances,` Babar quoted Ms
Khan as saying. zuliqar ghuman.

200_pg_3

PARTY MEN CONTI NUE TO QUI T PML-Q

1he Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid ,PML-Q, candidates or the national and
Sindh assemblies continue to reuse to contest the general elections on the
party ticket.
lor example, Ghulam Sarwar Sarki ,candidate or NA-210 Kandhkot,
Kashmore, announced that he was quitting the PML-Q and was instead
contesting the elections rom the platorm o another group, the Kandhkot-
Kashmore Awami Ittehad.
In Kambar-Shahdadkot district, Sultan Khuhawar, who was an
adisor to the ormer chie minister o the PML-Q, made a similar
announcement. le would stand as an independent candidate rom the same
constituency, PS-40. 1he PML-Q gae his ticket to Abdul \aheed Brohi.
In 1ando Mohammad Khan, the PML-Q candidate on NA-234, Zakir
lussain Mari, quit to join the rial Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ,PML-N,.
In Naushehro leroz, PS-21`s Syed Manzoor lussain Shah gae the PML-Q its
ticket back and decided to join hands with the National Peoples Party ,NPP,.
Syed Manzoor lussain Shah was with Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi today to submit
his NPP ticket with the DRO,` the NPP`s Naeemur Rehman told Daily
1imes. lor its part, the PML-Q has scoed at the importance o these
changes.
It is not a big issue that our candidate is contesting rom another
platorm,` the PML-Q`s Nadir Akmal Leghari told Daily 1imes. qazi asi

200_pg_11


43
JUI -F I N A TI GHT CORNER DUE TO JI S ELECTI ON BOYCOTT

1he withdrawal o nomination papers by Jamaat-e-Islami ,JI, candidates has
put the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-lazl ,JUI-l,, its erstwhile ally in the N\lP
goernment, in a ix with regard to the coering o all seats acated by the
ormer in the proince. A total o 31 JI candidates had iled nomination papers
or the National Assembly rom N\lP while another 83 had done so or the
proincial assembly. loweer, all o them withdrew their candidature as part
o the poll boycott decision by the party leadership on Saturday. 1he JUI-l,
which had ielded a maximum number o candidates or the national and
proincial assembly seats rom N\lP, is now acing problems in preparing all
its nominees or a tough contest. daud khattak.

200_pg_42

PML-N FORMS BODY FOR SEAT ADJUSTMENT WI TH PPP

Ruling out any alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid ,PML-Q,,
PML-Nawaz ,PML-N, President Shahbaz Shari on Monday said that a
committee has been set up or seat-to-seat adjustments with the Pakistan
People`s Party ,PPP,.
1alking to reporters in Lahore, the PML-N president said that the
committee would reiew the situation, and that the PML-N would support
PPP candidates where they had a shot at winning, and ice-ersa.
le said the PML-Q was a dead party` and it had caused immense
losses to the country, so there was no chance o a political alliance with it. le
said that the PML-N had decided to participate in the upcoming general
elections to sae the country, not merely to come into power.
Meanwhile, PML-N chie Nawaz Shari said that he would not
compromise with the abrogators o the constitution, adding that the PML-N
would remoe them rom power by contesting the upcoming elections.
Addressing public meetings at Chichawatni, Kasowal and Iqbal Nagar
on Sunday, he said the doctrine o necessity had weakened the country. lad a
stand been taken in 1960, the situation would be much dierent today, he
added. le said the courts should hae announced decisions according to law
and the constitution rather than the doctrine o necessity to ensure that no
dictator would dare dissole the assemblies and abrogate the constitution. le
regretted that the ather o the nuclear programme, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan,
had been detained and tortured, reported Online.
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44
1he army is meant to deend the geographical borders o the country,
he said, adding that it should not indulge in politics. \e will eliminate the role
o generals rom the political scene once and or all,` he said.
Under protest`: Nawaz claimed that President Perez Musharra had
wanted the PML-N to boycott the elections, but we are contesting elections
under protest`. My nomination papers and those o Shahbaz Shari were
rejected under a conspiracy,` he alleged.
Addressing rallies in Multan and Khanewal on Monday, he said that i
oted to power his party would end the price hike. le said January 8 was
actually a day o reerendum and asked the people to ote or the restoration
o the judiciary, reported APP. le urged the people to ote or PML-N
candidates or the prosperity o the country. Agencies.

200_pg1_1

FORMER PM WARNS OF ANARCHY I F POLLS ARE NOT FAI R:
PPP TO EMERGE FI RST I N POLLS, PML-N SECOND,
SAYS BB

PPP chairwoman slams Musharra or rise o extremism
lormer premier Benazir Bhutto said on Monday that her Pakistan People`s
Party ,PPP, would emerge ictorious in the January 8 general elections, while
the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ,PML-N, would be second.
Addressing a public meeting in lyderabad, she said that the PPP
struggled to get ormer chie justice o Pakistan Itikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
restored when he had been suspended ater a presidential reerence against
him.
\e hoped that Itikhar would stop the presidential polls, but there
might be some pressures on him or not doing that,` she said.
Anarchy: Benazir warned that extremism would spread unless the Jan
8 elections were air, and that a rigged ote in aor o Musharra could pitch
Pakistan into anarchy`, AP reported.
Musharra slammed: Separately, Benazir in an interiew published on
Monday accused President Perez Musharra o presiding oer a resurgence
extremism and mismanaging a demoralised military, AlP reported.
le`s got to answer this, because as ar as I`m concerned, some o the
people around him hae sympathy or militants,` she said in an interiew
published in 1he \ashington Post and Newsweek.
Let`s not orget, when the 1aliban came down rom 1ora Bora they
were on the run - they were absolutely broken. But they hae reorganised.

45
1hey could not do that unless there is some support rom the goernment or
intelligence,` she said..
Benazir added that she was shocked` by the embedded` support
or extremists throughout the country. People are scared to talk. 1hey say I
am polarising when I say militancy is a problem. A town calls or
reinorcements but they are not sent in time. So the town alls,` she said. She
said the military had been powerless to counter such incursions. 1he army is
being targeted and losing men and is getting demoralised because the public is
not with them.` About the Jan 8 elections, Benazir said that she was worried
that the elections would be rigged in aor o the Pakistan Muslim League-
Quaid, \ashington Post quoted her as saying.
1here are 148 seats in Punjab, the goernment has been told to gie
108 seats |to the PML-Q|. 1hat means we`ll only be ighting oer 40 seats,`
she said. She said the PML-Q was going to lose badly i the judiciary and the
police reused to rig the polls or i the obserers could mitigate against the
rigging.
She said i the opposition could get election obserers to ensure that
the ballots didn`t get siphoned o then it would be a huge setback to the
goernment`s rigging plans.
She said that the PPP would not buy into a situation where the PML-
Q won the polls and prime minister was taken rom the PPP.
About ormer premier Nawaz Shari, she said he was playing a ery
positie role by running in the polls. Benazir doubted that Musharra would
restore sacked judges, adding that the goernment`s claim to hold the elections
did not look good when the chie justice had been suspended. 1o a question
about whether her goernment would be able to control the military, she said
the military came under the president at the moment so that would depend on
the leel o cooperation the president was willing to extend in this regard. 1o a
similar question about the tribal areas, she said, 1he tribal areas are liing in
the medieal age. \e think there should be reorm o the madrassas. ...I we
bring the modern age into this backward area, we can co-opt the local people
in conronting the orces o terrorism.` agencies,daily times monitor ,sta
report.

200_pg_1

7, 335 CANDI DATES UP FOR JANUARY 8 ELECTI ONS

A total o ,335 candidates are running or the January 8 elections - 2,252 or
22 general seats o the National Assembly and 5,083 or 5 general seats o
proincial assemblies.
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1he Llection Commission ,LC, compiled inal list o candidates on
Monday ater district returning oicers inalized 1,003 candidates or 148 NA
seats in the Punjab and 34 candidates or two NA seats in Islamabad.
In Sindh proince, 62 candidates will contest or 61 NA seats, in
North \est lrontier Proince ,N\lP,, 262 candidates will contest or 35 NA
seats, in lA1A, 183 candidates will contest or 12 NA seats and 143 will
contest or 14 NA seats in Balochistan.
Punjab Assembly has 31 seats - 29 general, 66 resered or women
and eight or minorities. A total o 2,311 candidates are running or these
seats. lor 130 general seats in the Sindh Assembly, 1,468 candidates are in the
ield. According to Proincial Llection Commission, 36 candidates in Sindh
are contesting or 14 NA seats resered or women. 1hirty-one candidates are
running or nine minorities` seats and 83 or 29 women`s seats in the Sindh
Assembly.
Seen hundred and sixty-three candidates are running or 99 general
seats in N\lP Assembly, while 541 candidates will ight or 51 general seats
in Balochistan Assembly. 1he printing o oer 150 million ballot papers also
started on Monday and will complete by January 5. LC sources told Daily
1imes the orms containing names o candidates and their election symbols
had been sent to ie sections o the Pakistan Printing Corporation.
1hey said names o the candidates would be printed on ballot papers
alphabetically along with their respectie election symbols. 1ransparent ballot
boxes hae already been in the custody o proincial election commissioners,
deputy election commissioners and assistant election commissioners. 1he LC
will use USAID-sponsored 430,000 transparent ballot boxes.

200_pg_11

PPP, PML-N COMPLETE ADJUSTMENT ON 25 SEATS

People`s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N hae completed seat adjustment
in 25 constituencies.
Pakistan Muslim League had won preious general elections in
October 2002 and both the PPP and PML-N could not succeed to secure
majority despite tall claims.
Both the parties had contested last elections in the absence o their
leadership as Benazir Bhutto was in sel exile while Mian Nawaz Shari had let
country ater a pact with the goernment in 2000.
1he sources said that both ormer rials and prime ministers Benazir
Bhutto and Nawaz Shari this time seem to be serious enough to join hands
or securing majority with each other`s support.

4
Benazir Bhutto has oered Nawaz Shari or seat adjustment on
arious constituencies, especially in Punjab and the PML-N leader has
coneyed BB a positie response,` the sources added.
PPP leader Makhdoom Amin laheem and PML-N leader Senator
Ishaq Dar are playing actie role to create consensus or seat adjustment,
sources said.

Pa/i.tav Ob.errer, December 19, 2006
http:,,pakobserer.net,20012,19,news,topstories12.asp

BENAZI R BHUTTO KI LLED I N ATTACK

Pakistani ormer Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a
suicide attack.
Ms Bhutto - the irst woman PM in an Islamic state - was leaing an
election rally in Rawalpindi when a gunman shot her in the neck and set o a
bomb.
At least 20 other people died in the attack and seeral more were
injured.
President Perez Musharra has urged people to remain calm but
angry protests hae gripped some cities, with at least 11 deaths reported.
Security orces hae been placed on a state o "red alert" nationwide.
1here were no immediate claims o responsibility or the attack.
Analysts beliee Islamist militants to be the most likely group behind it.
Ms Bhutto, leader o the Pakistan People's Party ,PPP,, had sered as
prime minister rom 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, and had been campaigning
ahead o elections due on 8 January.
It was the second suicide attack against her in recent months and
came amid a wae o bombings targeting security and goernment oicials.
Nawaz Shari, also a ormer prime minister and a political rial,
announced his Muslim League party would boycott the elections.
le called on President Musharra to resign, saying ree and air
elections were not possible under his rule.
1he United Nations Security Council held an emergency session and
later said it "unanimously condemned" the assassination.
Ms Bhutto's coin was remoed rom hospital in Rawalpindi and has
now arried by plane in Sukkur in Sindh proince or burial in her home town,
Larkana.
ler husband, Asi Ali Zardari, has arried in Pakistan rom Dubai to
escort the coin to its inal resting-place.
1he attack occurred close to an entrance gate o the city park where
Ms Bhutto had been speaking.
Police conirmed reports Ms Bhutto had been shot in the neck and
chest beore the gunman blew himsel up.
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She died at 1816 ,1316 GM1,, said \asi Ali Khan, a member o the
PPP who was at hospital.
Some supporters at the hospital wept while others broke into anger,
throwing stones at cars and breaking windows.
Protests erupted in other cities as news o the assassination spread,
with reports o 11 deaths in the PPP's heartland proince o Sindh, including
our in proincial capital, Karachi.
More than 100 cars were burned in Karachi, while cars and a train
were reportedly set on ire in lyderabad.
In other iolence:
Police in Peshawar, in the north-west, used batons and tear gas to
break up a rally by protesters chanting anti-Musharra slogans
One man was killed in a "shoot-out" between police and protesters in
1ando Allahyar, the mayor said
Unrest was also reported in Quetta, Multan and Shikarpur
'Security lapse'
Mr Musharra has announced three days o national mourning. All
schools, colleges, uniersities, banks and goernment oices will
remain closed.
Mr Shari said there had been a "serious lapse in security" by the
goernment.
Larlier on 1hursday, at least our people were killed ahead o an
election rally Mr Shari had been preparing to attend close to Rawalpindi.
Ms Bhutto's death has plunged the PPP into conusion and raises
questions about whether January elections will go ahead as planned, the BBC's
Barbara Plett in Islamabad says.
1he killing was condemned by India, the US, the UK and others.
US President George \ Bush telephoned Mr Musharra or what the
\hite louse would only describe as a "brie" conersation on the situation.
Ms Bhutto returned rom sel-imposed exile in October ater years
out o Pakistan where she had aced corruption charges.
ler return was the result o a power-sharing agreement with President
Musharra.
le had granted an amnesty that coered the court cases she was
acing.
But relations with Mr Musharra soon broke down.
On the day o her arrial, she had led a motor caalcade through the
city o Karachi.
It was hit by a double suicide attack that let some 130 dead.
Rawalpindi, the nere centre o Pakistan's military, is seen as one o
the country's most secure cities.

49
Many analysts say attacks like those on 1hursday show the creeping
"1alebanisation" o Pakistan.
Radical Muslims calling or Islamic law, and iercely opposed to the
US, hae become increasingly actie in Pakistani politics in recent years,
analysts say.

C êr., December 2, 200
http:,,news.bbc.co.uk,2,hi,south_asia,161590.stm

PARLI AMENTARY ELECTI ONS I N PAKI STAN POSTPONED TO
NEXT MONTH

Pakistani oicials say elections will be delayed until lebruary because it is
impossible to hold next week's parliamentary ote on time. Llection
Commission Secretary-General Kanwar Dilshad told reporters 1uesday that a
new date will be announced \ednesday, ollowing talks with political parties.
VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports rom Islamabad.
1he secretary-general o the election commission, Kunwar Dilshad,
told reporters in Islamabad 1uesday the date or the elections will be decided
ater talks with political parties.
"Llection commission o Pakistan has decided that, in the irst stance,
the political parties may be consulted, may be, may be consulted," said
Dilshad. "So, ater the consultation with the political parties, the date o the
poll will be decided."
Dilshad said it looked impossible to hold elections as originally
scheduled on January 8. le said the new date would be announced on
\ednesday.
Opposition parties want the elections held as scheduled next week.
But oicials rom the ruling Pakistan Muslim-Q party say the polls may be
delayed or seeral months because o unrest ollowing the assassination o
opposition leader Benazir Bhutto last week.
Sherry Rehman, the spokeswoman o Ms. Bhutto's Pakistan People's
Party says the goernment should allow the elections to take place as planned.
"1he party has ery clearly stated its position, we would like the
elections to be held on time," she said. "1he PPP being the most aected
party by this assassination - i it is able to go into election and ight or the
kind o political participation that Ms. Bhutto gae her lie or, then I think the
goernment o Pakistan should hae no problem."
lormer Prime Minister Nawaz Shari, who heads a large opposition
party, has threatened to take his supporters to the streets i the elections are
delayed.
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Llection commission oicials say a delay is likely because many o
their oices were burned and oter rolls destroyed in riots that broke out ater
the assassination.
U.S. oicials say a slight delay in the election date would be
acceptable, i all the political parties agree and i there is a deinite date or the
elections.
1he death o ormer Prime Minister Bhutto has worsened the turmoil
in Pakistan, which has been wracked or nearly a year by political disputes and
a growing insurgency by Islamic militants. President Perez Musharra has
become widely unpopular, ater iring a Supreme Court justice early in 200
and then imposing emergency rule and media censorship a ew months ago.
1he elections are seen as key to restoring political calm and
establishing democratic rule.

1oice of .verica, January 01 2008
http:,,www.oanews.com,english,archie,2008-01,2008-01-01-
oa5.cmcid~2804005&ctoken~8031888

US PUSHI NG PAKI STAN TO FI X DI STORTI ONS BEFORE POLLS

A senior Bush administration oicial said on 1uesday that the United States is
pushing Pakistan to ix serious distortions` ahead o leb 18 parliamentary
elections.
Richard Boucher, the assistant secretary o state or South Asia,
conceded that i history is any guide`, some raud will occur. But, he told a
louse o Representaties panel, a ibrant, though still restricted, media and
international obserers, including US oicials, will help curb cheating.
Lawmakers at the hearing criticised the Bush administration or its
steadast support o President Perez Musharra as indispensable`, despite
his suspension o the constitution and declaration o emergency rule last year,
his purge o the judiciary and the arrests o thousands o opponents.
Boucher acknowledged some serious distortions let on the process
o the elections, with some things that still need to be corrected`. le said the
United States is doing eerything it can to ensure a air election, including
preparing teams rom the US embassy to monitor major races around the
country. Close scrutiny, he said, will encourage better behaior.
US lawmakers expressed worry on 1uesday that raudulent elections
could spark the kind o iolence seen in Kenya, where ighting ater a disputed
Dec 2 presidential ote has let hundreds dead.
1he potential or a lawed election to destabilise Pakistan is a real
one,`` Democratic Rep Betty McCollum said. Lawmakers also suggested the
Bush administration was not pushing Musharra strongly enough to restore an
independent judiciary. Boucher said that because o intense political

51
disagreements oer the judiciary, the situation probably would not be dealt
with by Pakistani oicials until ater the elections.

1be êr., January 30, 2008

PML-Q I SSUES WHI TE PAPER AGAI NST NAWAZ

1he PML-Q dusted o old allegations against the PML-N and prepared a
white paper tracing back Nawaz Shari`s `misdeeds` rom the days when he
irst became proincial inance minister then chie minister and inally the
prime minister o Pakistan.
At a press conerence here, Senators Muhammad Ali Durrani and
Kamil Ali Agha asked Nawaz Shari to answer 22 allegations o corruption and
nepotism which they alleged cost the nation billions o rupees.
Detailing the allegations, Mr Durrani said Mian Nawaz Shari, during
his tenure as Punjab chie minister ,1988-90,, depried the proincial
departments o Rs 15.35 billion, which included Rs 40 million o agriculture,
Rs 200 million o education, Rs 20 million o interior, Rs 180 million o
orest and Rs 1,500 million o other departments. Besides, he said, Rs 12
billion were released in the name o deelopment programmes.
Quoting the Auditor General`s Report, released in 1988, he said Mian
Nawaz Shari, misusing his authority as chie minister, issued directies which
resulted into direct malpractice o Rs 35 billion.
1he report said that the Chie Minister`s Secretariat had been turned
out to be a hub o corrupt practices and Nawaz Shari wasted the public
money like an emperor` that resulted in huge iscal deicit to the proince.
1he Auditor General`s Report released in 1986 said the then chie minister
Nawaz Shari had squandered Rs 1.2 billion in only one year.
It said Nawaz Shari allotted 3,000 precious LDA plots to his
aourites due to which the proincial assets suered billions o rupees loss.
Nawaz ordered the CBR to issue seeral SROs due to which he got Rs
400 million.
PML-Q alleged Nawaz Shari was the lead character in the
cooperatie and inancial institutions scam, depriing the retired employees,
orphans, widows, and the poor o their total assets amounting to Rs 1 billion.
It said Nawaz released Rs 1.2 million rom his discretionary grant
during 1985-86 while Rs18.95 million were released in 1986-8, Rs 18990,000
were used in 198-88 while another Rs 18.8 million were distributed among
his cronies.
It said during the irst tenure o Nawaz Shari as prime minister he
obtained Rs 3 billion loan rom dierent banks through his inluence against
inadequate guarantees.
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According to details, Rs 1.5 billion loan was obtained against Itteaq
loundries, Rs 302 million were obtained or Brothers Sugar Mills, Rs 92
million or Brothers 1extile, Rs 392 million or Brothers Steel Mills, Rs 102
million or Ramzan Sugar Mills and Khalid Siraj 1extiles each, Rs 385 million
or Itteaq Sugar Mills, Rs 368 million or Itteaq 1extiles and Rs 239 million
were loaned to Itteaq Brothers. 1he national wealth was used or establishing
personal empire while the country`s economy was acing huge disaster, the
document alleged. 1his loan was equialent to the total internal loan obtained
by the goernment o Pakistan, it added.
It said another Rs 30 billion were spent in the name o 1ameer-e-
\atan Programme` in two phases and only 10 to 15 per cent was actually
spent on the programme while his riends were beneited by the remaining
unds. Later the \orld Bank ,\B, and the Asian Deelopment Bank ,ADB,
unearthed the scam.
On Jan , 1991, the lrench goernment, under an agreement
proided, >138 million grant or the deelopment o communication, energy
and health sectors. Out o the grant, >25 million were obtained by the then
prime minister and his coterie as commission, it was alleged.
It said Nawaz Shari, in the name o priatisation, handed oer a state-
owned bank on throwaway price against Rs 888.8 million to a bidder who was
third in the list. Resultantly, the Sharis receied commission in millions o
rupees. Besides, Allied Bank was also priatised and the then prime Minister
got kick back in the deal, it alleged.
On Jan 15, 1992, the Nawaz goernment sold 90 per cent shares o
Pak-China lertilizer Company to Schon Group or mere Rs 450 million. 1he
company had 00 employees with a daily production o 340 tons o ertilizer.
It said Nawaz Shari with an amount o Rs 15,000 only opened his
account in Muslim Commercial Bank and the next morning he got Rs 150
million loan rom the same bank.
In June 1990, Nawaz Shari allotted 43-acre orest land in Murree on a
throwaway price to one Zaar Iqbal who was inoled in BCCI Scam.
Moreoer, the Shari paid the amount rom his discretionary und, it alleged.
On May 30, 1990, Nawaz Shari announced launching o Pakistan
Baitul Mal and appointed his close associate as its chairman. Only in one year
Rs 1.9 billion were distributed amongst his cronies while Rs 9 million were
spent on treatment o his eudal riends, it said.
During the second tenure o Nawaz Shari as prime minister,
beginning in 199, he bought 2,000 acre o land in Raiwind, building a Rs 250
million, 100-acre palace there. 1he amount was spent rom the national
exchequer, the white paper alleged. It added the palace was simultaneously
declared Prime Minister`s Camp Oice and P\D was ordered to renoate it.
lor the purpose, Rs 80 million were approed within 24 hours in iolation o
rules and regulation. Besides, Rs 0 million were released or proision o Gas,

53
Rs 320 million or roads, Rs 85 million or brick-lining o the canal, Rs 50
million or proision o electricity and Rs 20 million were spent or telephone
exchange or the palace.
On Sept 1, 1996, the then chie minister Ari Nakai issued a letter
,No LDA-CMP-401-S-54, or the allotment o 540 acres o land or a housing
society. 1he orders were cancelled by Mr Shahbaz Shari and the same land
was absorbed in Raiwind State` and the poor peasants were harassed and paid
minimal sums or their precious lands.
It said Nawaz and Shahbaz, using their oicial status, saed Rs
1,9,382293 in Income 1ax and \ealth 1ax.
It also alleged misappropriation o the amount collected under `Qarz
Utaro Mulk Sanwaro` plan.
On May 28, 1998, Nawaz Shari imposed emergency in the wake o
atomic explosions and ordered reezing o the oreign currency accounts
through an executie order and depried many Pakistanis o >11 billion, it
alleged.
Breaching his oath, the Sharis inormed most o their associates and
relaties o the emergency step, who withdrew their amounts well in time. Due
to this, >1,200 million were transerred abroad, it claimed.
It also alleged that handing oer o 33 industrial units to banks was yet
another scam out o which only three were operatie and the remaining were
dysunctional. As per inestigators, 18 out o 19 units o Itteaq Group o
Companies, three out o our units o Ilyas Lnterprises, six out o seen units
o Itteaq Brothers and all three units o Brothers Steel were totally redundant,
it claimed.
Darv, lebruary 13, 2008

TELL-TALE FI NDI NGS

1he indings o the latest surey conducted in Pakistan by the US-based
International Republican Institute to gauge the public mood days beore the
election are least lattering or President Musharra and his erstwhile ruling
coalition. 1he ast majority disapproes o the goernment actions taken since
No 2 and wants to ote or opposition parties in the leb 18 election. A
whopping 94 per cent o those sureyed based their disapproal o the
goernment on its ailure to arrest inlation and shortages o essential ood
items and supplies. As per surey results, the public mood is such that any
attempt by the military-backed establishment to manipulate the election results
can result in a massie moement against the powers that be. \hateer the
standard methodology applied to carry out the surey in question, the results
are quite credible because they relect the random iews being expressed by
the public in the run-up to the election, as seen in 1V road shows. 1his may
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54
thus be a inal wake-up call or the authorities concerned to shape up beore it
is too late, and lie up to the people`s expectations o holding ree, air and
transparent elections. lailing this, a reign o chaos in the days ater the election
cannot be ruled out. 1he unhappy eentuality does not augur well or anyone
concerned, much less or the ederation and those ouchsaing it.
\hile the caretaker goernment had better heed the warning inherent
in the preailing public mood, opposition parties, too, must do their bit to
remain releant to the people`s hopes and aspirations. So ar, election
campaigns hae seen ew o the acute socio-economic problems that the
people hae had to brae in recent months, and or which they blame the
erstwhile goernment. 1he country is arguably aced with the worst eer
shortages in the energy sector. Power, gas and water supplies hae neer been
this erratic across the country. Leryday ood items, say, wheat lour and
sugar, are now more readily aailable but at a much inlated cost. lood price
inlation is perhaps what aects the people most. 1he prices o edible ats,
pulses, meat and egetables hae seen huge rises in the past months, putting
these basic items nearly out o the reach o the majority o low-income
segments. 1hese are real issues and unless they are made part o the election
campaigns being run by the contesting parties, there will remain a trust deicit
between the ruled and the rulers, een i the latter are duly elected
representaties o the people.

Lditorial, Darv, lebruary 13, 2008

I N TRI BAL PAKI STAN, RELI GI OUS PARTI ES ARE
FOUNDERI NG

Senator Asandyar \ali, the leader o an opposition party, the Awami National
Party, is campaigning or the elections next week rom the saety o his bed,
under a quilt and propped up on bolsters or his bad back at his country home
outside Peshawar.
Ill health aside, Mr. \ali is staying home because suicide bombers are
seeking to kill him, his party has been warned by high-leel goernment
oicials. 1here hae been two bomb attacks on his party`s election gatherings
in the last week. 1wo candidates hae been killed, one in a suicide bombing
and one in a shooting in Karachi.
\et despite the attacks and the limited campaigning, his party is
expected to do well in the parliamentary elections on Monday. 1he religious
parties that or the last ie years hae goerned the North-\est lrontier
Proince and Baluchistan Proince, which border Aghanistan and the tribal
areas, are oundering.

55
Since being swept to power in 2002 on a wae o anti-Americanism
and sympathy or the 1aliban ater the American inasion o Aghanistan, the
mullahs here hae ound that the public mood has shited against them.
People complain that they hae ailed to delier on their promises,
that they hae proed just as corrupt as other politicians and that they hae
presided oer a worsening o security, demonstrated most iidly in a rising
number o suicide attacks carried out by militants based in the nearby tribal
areas.
1hey did not sere the people,` said laiz Muhammad, 4, a armer
whose son was killed in the bomb blast on an Awami political gathering on
Saturday.
1he shit in mood here may be a bellwether o larger trends
nationwide. 1he religious parties held 59 seats in the 342-member Parliament,
making them a kingmaker at critical times, like helping President Perez
Musharra to extend his military rule. But this time their number may all to
single digits, according to some estimates.
Pollsters and political analysts in Pakistan hae maintained that the
religious parties command only a small percentage o popular support and that
the 2002 elections were an aberration, a reaction to the American interention
in Aghanistan and the result o rigging by Pakistan`s intelligence agencies,
which hae always had links with the religious parties.
1wo opinion polls released this week show that the standing o the
religious parties has allen to a new low, with oters showing a strong shit o
support toward the moderate parties.
A surey o more than 3,000 people at the end o January by the
International Republican Institute showed that the religious parties could
command only 1 percent o the ote nationally, down rom 4 percent in
Noember. In North-\est lrontier Proince and Baluchistan Proince, their
share was 4 percent.
Meanwhile, support or the Pakistan Peoples Party, the party o the
assassinated ormer prime minister Benazir Bhutto, has soared to 50 percent
nationally, the poll ound. 1he ace-to-ace surey was conducted throughout
Pakistan and has a margin o sampling error o plus or minus two percentage
points.
Another surey conducted by 1error lree 1omorrow, a \ashington-
based bipartisan group that seeks to reduce support or international terrorism,
showed backing at 62 percent or the Pakistan Peoples Party and the action o
the Pakistan Muslim League led by the opposition leader, Nawaz Shari.
I the 1aliban were on the ballot sheet, they would garner just 3
percent o the ote, and Al Qaeda only 1 percent, according to the poll. 1he
ace-to-ace nationwide surey o more than 1,000 interiews was conducted
in January with D3 Systems and the Pakistan Institute or Public Opinion and
has a margin o sampling error o plus or minus three percentage points.
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56
lere in North-\est lrontier Proince, where religious parties won a
majority and ran the goernment, they are blamed or being sot on the
militants and or allowing 1alibanization,` the radical Islamist agenda
creeping into society.
People are ed up because they are not opposing the attacks by the
1aliban openly,` said Muhammad Jawed, 40, a businessman who attended the
uneral or Mr. Muhammad`s son.
1hat rustration has redounded to the aor o moderate opposition
parties like the Awami National Party, a Pashtun nationalist party ounded by
Mr. \ali`s grandather. It was almost wiped out in the last elections, in 2002,
when it welcomed the American interention in Aghanistan. In its place a
coalition o religious parties, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, was elected.
1he proincial assembly in Peshawar was illed with madrasa-educated
mullahs, more than a dozen heaily eiled women on resere seats and een
mujahedeen who had ought in Kashmir and Aghanistan. 1hey adocated the
introduction o Islamic law, or Shariah, and the banning o music, cinema and
alcohol.
1he Awami National Party ailed to win any seats in the national
assembly and only 10 seats in the proincial assembly. It is now hoping to
triple that on Monday and to secure as many as 12 national assembly seats.
1he religious coalition itsel is in disarray, acing attacks rom both let
and right. One o the largest parties in the coalition, Jamaat-e-Islami, is
boycotting the elections, protesting what it says is an uneen playing ield
proided by Mr. Musharra.
1he other main party in the coalition, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, is split,
tainted ater its leader, Maulana lazlur Rehman, made compromises to
support Mr. Musharra. In particular, Maulana Rehman broke with the
militants in their stando last summer with goernment orces at the Red
Mosque in Islamabad. \hen other opposition parties resigned rom
Parliament last October, seeking to undercut Mr. Musharra`s election to
another term, Maulana Rehman stood by the president.
1oday, Maulana Rehman is homebound, under threat rom the
militants who resent the support he has lent to Mr. Musharra. lis house has
come under attack, and he is under threat rom suicide attacks, goernment
oicials hae said.
lor Mr. \ali, the expected trouncing o the religious parties on
Monday is recompense.
I eel,` he said, that we Pashtuns hae had enough o war, enough
o bloodshed, and the common man now accepts that.`

Carlotta Gall, 1be êr Yor/ 1ive., lebruary 14, 2008
http:,,www.nytimes.com,2008,02,14,world,asia,14pstan.html_r~1&re~world&
ore~slogin

5
US HAI LS PAKI STAN POLL AS I MPORTANT STEP

1he United States Monday hailed the conduct o parliamentary election in
Pakistan, describing it an important step on the pathway towards ciilian
democracy. \e are pleased that elections hae been conducted in Pakistan. It
is an important step in the path towards an elected ciilian democracy that
relects the choices o the Pakistani people,` Nicole 1hompson, a
spokesperson at the State Department told APP in initial comments.
Pakistan began ote counting ater millions o people across the
country cast their ballot to elect members or the national and proincial
assemblies.
She said, the United States and others in the international community
hae stressed the importance o haing a ree, air and transparent election
process as possible.`
1he State Department oicial noted that there are many international
and independent Pakistani monitoring missions in place and the US
administration looks orward to reiewing all o their assessments in the days
ahead.`
\e will wait or the inal election result and the chance to reiew the
monitoring groups` reports beore commenting urther on the process,`
1hompson stated.-APP

Pa/i.tav Ob.errer, lebruary 19, 2008

PAKI STANI S DEAL SEVERE DEFEAT TO MUSHARRAF I N
ELECTI ON

Pakistanis dealt a crushing deeat to President Perez Musharra in
parliamentary elections on Monday, in what goernment and opposition
politicians said was a irm rejection o his policies since 2001 and those o his
close ally, the United States.
Almost all the leading igures in the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, the
party that has goerned or the last ie years under Mr. Musharra, lost their
seats, including the leader o the party, the ormer speaker o Parliament and
six ministers.
Oicial results are expected 1uesday, but early returns indicated that
the ote would usher in a prime minister rom one o the opposition parties,
and opened the prospect o a Parliament that would moe to undo many o
Mr. Musharra`s policies and that may een try to remoe him.
Larly results showed equal gains or the Pakistan Peoples Party,
whose leader, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated on Dec. 2, and the Pakistan
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58
Muslim League-N, the action led by Nawaz Shari, like Ms. Bhutto a ormer
prime minister. Lach party may be in a position to orm the next goernment.
1he results were interpreted here as a repudiation o Mr. Musharra as
well as the Bush administration, which has staunchly backed him or more
than six years as its best bet in the campaign against the Islamic militants in
Pakistan. American oicials will hae little choice now but to seek alternatie
allies rom among the new political orces emerging rom the ote.
Politicians and party workers rom Mr. Musharra`s party said the ote
was a protest against goernment policies and the rise in terrorism here, in
particular against Mr. Musharra`s heay-handed way o dealing with militancy
and his use o the army against tribesmen in the border areas, and against
militants in a siege at the Red Mosque here in the capital last summer that let
more than 100 people dead.
Others said Mr. Musharra`s dismissal last year o the Supreme Court
chie justice, Itikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who remains under house arrest,
was deeply unpopular with the oters.
Mr. Musharra, who stepped down as army chie last Noember ater
being re-elected to another ie-year term as president, has seen his standing
plummet as the country has aced a determined insurgency by the 1aliban and
Al Qaeda, and a deteriorating economy.
By association, his party suered badly. 1he two main opposition
parties - the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N -
surged into the gap.
By early Monday night, crowds o Shari supporters had already begun
celebrating as they paraded through the streets o Rawalpindi, the garrison
town just outside the capital, Islamabad. Riding on motorbikes and clinging to
the backs o minians, they played music and waed the green lags o Mr.
Shari`s party decorated with the party symbol, a tiger.
lrom unoicial results the priate news channel, Aaj 1eleision,
orecast that the Pakistan Peoples Party would win 110 seats in the 22-seat
National Assembly, with Mr. Shari`s party taking 100 seats.
Mr. Musharra`s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, was crushed,
holding on to just 20 to 30 seats. Larly results released by the state news
agency, 1he Associated Press o Pakistan, also showed the Pakistan Peoples
Party to be leading in the number o seats won.
1he Llection Commission o Pakistan declared the elections ree and
air and said the polling passed relatiely peaceully, despite some irregularities
and scattered iolence. 1en people were killed and 0 injured around the
country, including one candidate who was shot in Lahore on the night beore
the ote, Pakistani news channels reported.
learul o iolence and deterred by conusion at polling stations,
oters did not turn out in large numbers. \et ears rom opposition parties

59
that the goernment would try to rig the elections did not materialize, as the
early losses showed.
Oicial results were not expected until 1uesday morning, but all the
parties were already coming to terms with the anti-Musharra trend in the
oting.
At the headquarters o Sheik Rashid Ahmed, the minister o railways
and a close riend o the president, his supporters sat gloomily in chairs under
an awning, listening to the cheers o their opponents. Q is inished,` said
1ahir Khan, 21, one o the party workers, reerring to the pro-Musharra
party.
1he party workers said Mr. Ahmed, who was among the ministers
who lost their seats, was popular but had suered rom the oerwhelming
protest ote against Mr. Musharra and his goerning action.
1he results opened a host o new challenges or the Bush
administration, which has been criticized in Congress and by Pakistan analysts
or relying too heaily on Mr. Musharra. Len as Mr. Musharra`s standing
plummeted and the insurgency gained strength, senior Bush administration
oicials praised Mr. Musharra as a alued partner in the eort against
terrorism.
\ith Mr. Musharra as both president and head o the Pakistani
military - a post he relinquished last Noember - the administration poured
about >1 billion a year in military assistance into Pakistan ater 9,11.
Ater Mr. Musharra stepped down rom the army, the Bush
administration still gae him unequiocal support. Last month, the assistant
secretary o state or South Asia, Richard A. Boucher, told Congress he
considered the Pakistani leader indispensable to American interests.
Such idelity to Mr. Musharra oten raised the hackles o Pakistanis,
and the newspapers here were illed with editorials that expressed despair
about \ashington`s close relationship with the unpopular leader.
Many educated Pakistanis said they were irritated that the Bush
administration chose to ignore Mr. Musharra`s dismissal in Noember o the
Supreme Court chie justice.
1he big swing against the Pakistan Muslim League-Q party that
supported Mr. Musharra appeared to bear out the position o the chairman o
the Senate loreign Relations committee, Joseph R. Biden Jr., Democrat o
Delaware, who has been a critic o the administration`s Pakistan policy.
On his arrial on Sunday to obsere the elections, Mr. Biden said: I
don`t buy into the argument that Musharra is the only one. \e hae to hae
more than just a Musharra policy.`
As a starting point or a new policy, Mr. Biden said the United States
needed to show Pakistanis that \ashington was interested in more than the
campaign against terrorism. le suggested that economic deelopment aid be
tripled to >1.5 billion annually.
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But \ashington could take some comort in the losses o the Islamic
religious parties in the North-\est lrontier Proince that abut the tribal areas
where the 1aliban and Al Qaeda hae cared out bases.
1he greatest blow or Mr. Musharra came in the strong wae o
support in Punjab Proince, the country`s most populous, or Mr. Shari, who
has been a bitter rial since his goernment was oerthrown by Mr. Musharra
in a military coup in 1999 and he was arrested and sent into exile.
le returned last Noember, and although banned rom running or
Parliament himsel, he has campaigned or his party on an openly anti-
Musharra agenda, calling or the president`s resignation and or the
reinstatement o Mr. Chaudhry and other Supreme Court judges.
Underscoring the reersal or Mr. Musharra was the downall o the
powerul Chaudhry amily o Punjab Proince, who had underwritten his
political career by creating the Pakistan Muslim League-Q party or him.
1he myth is broken, it was a huge wae against Musharra,` said
Athar Minallah, a lawyer inoled in the anti-Musharra lawyers` moement.
Right across the board his party was deeated, in the urban and rural areas.
1he margins are so big they couldn`t hae rigged it een i they tried.`
A ew hours ater the size o the deeat became clear, the goernment
eased up on the restrictions against Aitzaz Ahsan, the leader o the lawyers`
moement that has opposed the president. Mr. Ahsan, who has been under
house arrest since last Noember, when Mr. Musharra imposed emergency
rule or six weeks, ound the phones in his house were suddenly reconnected.
Musharra should be preparing a C-130 or 1urkey,` Mr. Ahsan said,
reerring to Mr. Musharra`s statements that he might retire to 1urkey, where
he spent part o his childhood.
1wo politicians close to Mr. Musharra hae said in the past week that
the president was well aware o the drit in the country against him and they
suggested that he would not remain in oice i the new goernment was in
direct opposition to him. le does not hae the ire in the belly or another
ight,` said one member o his party. le added that Mr. Musharra was
building a house or himsel in Islamabad and would be ready soon to moe.
Jane Perlez reported rom Lahore, Pakistan, and Carlotta Gall rom
Islamabad. Daid Rohde contributed reporting rom Peshawar, and Salman
Masood rom Rawalpindi.
Carlotta Gall reported rom Islamabad, Pakistan, and Jane Perlez rom
Lahore. Daid Rohde contributed reporting rom Peshawar, and Salman
Masood rom Rawalpindi.

Carlotta Gall and Jane Perlez, 1be êr Yor/ 1ive., lebruary 19, 2008
ore~slogin


61
WI NNER TO FORM GOVT: MUSHARRAF CONGRATULATES
NATI ON ON PEACEFUL ELECTI ONS; URGES ACCEPTANCE OF
RESULTS GRACEFULLY

President Perez Musharra Monday greeted the nation oer the holding o
peaceul elections and urged the candidates to accept the results graceully.
Instead o crying oul, we should all show magnanimity,` he told the anchors
o the P1V Llection City during a isit.
1he President said in the wake o challenges like extremism and
terrorism conronting the country, it was important that the nation stands
united, exhibits reconciliation, instead o conrontation. Llection is the oice
o the nation and we all, including mysel should accept these results.` le said
there was a need or exhibiting political reconciliation or secure and stable
democracy in the country.
1he President to a question about his comments on the opinion polls
said sureys and opinion polls were good, but they do not necessarily relect
the iews o the masses.
le cited an example when in 1994 an international organisation
conducted opinion polls in India and the ruling BJP decided to go or an early
election, but despite the eel good` actor, they lost. le also lauded the
caretaker goernment o Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro or putting
in maximum eort` in holding a ree and air election and the role o the
concerned departments.
le appreciated the law enorcement agencies, the Llection
Commission and concerned authorities or proiding eectie security to
ensure that the elections are held in a ree, air, transparent and peaceul
manner.
President Perez Musharra Monday said that he has ulilled his
promise to hold the general elections in a transparent manner and whoeer
wins in the elections will orm the goernment and pursue the politics o
reconciliation in the larger interest o the country.
1he President was talking to reporters ater casting his ote at a
polling station at Bhindara School here in constituency NA-54 and PP-9. lirst
lady Begum Sehba Musharra and the President`s mother also polled their
otes at the same polling station.
le said, 1he politics o conrontation must gie way to policy o
reconciliation, not in anyone`s personal interests, but in Pakistan`s interest.`
\e hae to come out o conrontational approach and get into a conciliatory
mode. I will remain committed to this policy o reconciliation,` the President
said and added that he was willing to work with any Prime Minister and party
that orms the goernment.
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62
le said the party securing majority otes should orm the
goernment, and in case o a hung parliament a coalition goernment should
be ormed so that the democratic process continues to moe ahead peaceully.
President Musharra said it was ital that the next goernment stays in
power or ie years to ensure the economic sustainability and continuation o
the crucial ight against terrorism and extremism till the elimination o the
menace. le said policies o conrontation were damaging Pakistan and
political reconciliation was in Pakistan`s interest.
President Musharra said lebruary 18 was an important and historic
day or Pakistan as the entire world was watching the transition towards
complete democracy.
le said now it was upto the nation how it projected itsel to the world
and they should proe that they were ully capable o holding ree, air,
transparent and peaceul election as a responsible nation.
I hae ulilled my pledge made to the nation to hold the polls on
leb 18,` he said.
le howeer regretted that unortunately earlier some unnecessary
aspersions were cast that the polls may not be held.
1he President urged the media not to play in the hands o such
elements and rather expose them so that they may not continue to take the
people or a ride. le said it was important that the people come out in large
numbers to proe to the world that they were not terriied o the terrorists
who were trying to create lawlessness in the country. 1he President
appreciated the role o law enorcing agencies, particularly the police, which
are oten blamed or all the ills but hae done a marelous job. le also lauded
the role o the lrontier Corps, the Rangers and the army that hae been
deployed to assist the ciil administration.
le also spoke high o the role o Llection Commission o Pakistan
or ensuring ree, air and transparent polls by taking necessary measures and
proiding the right equipment.
1he President said whateer the outcome it should be accepted with
grace. 1hose winning should show humility and those losing should show
grace,` he added. le said it was important that no such thing is done that
brings bad name to the country and added that no one would be allowed to
damage the reputation o the country.
Secretary Llection Commission Kunwar Dilshad told APP that
polling was going on in a peaceul manner, apart rom some unpleasant
incidents at a ew places.
le expressed satisaction oer the oters` turnout, which he termed
quite good. le said about 22,000 local and 1200 international obserers were
monitoring the election and they were allowed to reely moe and obsere the
poll process.

63
Dilshad also reerred to US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, co-
chair o the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, who said that the elections had
assumed great signiicance or Pakistan`s history.

Pa/i.tav Ob.errer, lebruary 19, 2008
http:,,www.pakobserer.net,news,topstories02.asp

PML-Q GREETS NAWAZ, ZARDARI

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid spokesman 1ariq Azim congratulated
opposition leaders Nawaz Shari and Asi Zardari on 1uesday or an
excellent perormance` by their parties in Monday`s elections. I the results
are conirmed we will play the part o the opposition as eectiely as we can,`
he said.
Dait, 1ive., lebruary 19, 2008

FOREI GN OBSERVERS SATI SFI ED

US Senator John Kerry and British enoy Robert Brinkley isit polling
stations. LU team satisied with security arrangements ISLAMABAD: loreign
obserers, ambassadors and analysts on Monday isited hundreds o polling
stations across the country and expressed satisaction on the polling process.
1alking to Geo News, they opined that the polling process was not much
dierent rom other countries. loweer, during their isit to Peshawar, they
said most o the oters there preerred to stay at home due to security
reasons.John Kerry, the US Senator and ormer presidential candidate, isited
polling stations in Islamabad and expressed the hope that the elections would
proide new opportunity to restore stability in the country.Meanwhile, the
Canadian and Chinese ambassadors to Pakistan, and hundreds o oreign
obserers also expressed satisaction oer the polling process. 1hey hoped the
elections would strengthen democracy in the country. 1he obserers rom US,
Lurope and other countries also isited arious polling stations in Rawalpindi
and talked with the polling sta and polling agents o the candidates. British
ligh Commissioner Robert Brinkley also isited polling stations in the capital
and obsered the polling process, Geo 1V reported. John Kerry and hundreds
o obseres isited Lahore in the aternoon and iewed the oting process.An
obserer mission rom the Luropean Union isited polling stations in Chakwal
and expressed satisaction oer the security arrangements. Agencies

Dait, 1ive., lebruary 19, 2008.

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LI BERAL PARTI ES ROUT MULLAHS I N NWFP: ALL THE
KI NG S MEN, GONE!

President Perez Musharra`s political allies, the Pakistan Muslim League-
Quaid ,PML-Q,, appear to hae lost their grip oer the country`s parliament,
with the Pakistan People`s Party-Parliamentarians ,PPPP, and the PML-Nawaz
,PML-N, oertaking the bicycle` in the election race.
Lion roars again: 1he PML-N swept Punjab despite low oter turnout
in all 35 districts o the proince.
PML-Q`s Sheikh Rashid lost to PML-N`s Makhdoom Jaed lashmi
in NA-55. le also lost to PML-N`s Muhammad lani Abbasi in NA-56,
according to unoicial results.
Shujaat lost to PPPP`s Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar in his hometown o
Gujrat and was lagging behind PML-N`s Rana Abdus Sattar in Sialkot. PPPP`s
Shah Mehmood Qureshi also won his seat.
PPPP`s Dr lirdaus Ashiq Awan beat out PML-Q`s Chaudhry Amir
lussain. PML-Q Punjab President Peraiz Llahi was losing on two NA seats
but won a third in Attock. PML-Q`s Chaudhry Shahbaz lussain, ormer
population welare minister, lost his seat or NA-62.
Other PML-Q bigwigs that lost include Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Sher
Agan Niazi, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, Nasir Khan, lamid Nasir Chattha,
lumayun Akhtar Khan, Chaudhry Amir lussain, Ijazul laq, Ghulam Sarwar
Khan and Daniyal Aziz.
Meanwhile, showing that the PML-Q was not completely out, laisal
Saleh layat o the party beat PPPP`s Abida lussain in NA-88.
PPPP comes home: 1he PPPP, based on early results, appears to hae
oertaken the PML-N and the MQM in Sindh, establishing the party as a orce
to be reckoned with in its home state. PPPP`s Amin lahim was one o the big
winners in the proince.
ANP kicks in: 1he Awami National Party ,ANP, took the maximum
number o seats based on early poll results, leaing the Muttahida Majlis-e-
Amal in the dust. PML-Q N\lP President Amir Muqam and Atab Ahmed
Khan Sherpao, both King`s men`, won the seats in their respectie
constituencies. According to unoicial results, Jamiat Ulema-e-lazl chie
Maulana lazlur Rehman won in NA-26, but lost NA-24 to laisal Karim
Kundi.
Business as usual: Balochistan witnessed a historic low turnout in the
parliamentary elections and the early poll results did not show a clear winner in
the proince, although the PML-Q appeared to be leading.

Dait, 1ive., lebruary 19, 2008.


65
US SENATORS COMMEND CREDI BLE POLLS

\e congratulate the people o Pakistan or taking a ery important step
towards democracy through credible elections. \e are satisied with the
outcome o the election that upheld the will o the moderate and democratic
people and hope or a peaceul and historic transer o power. \e look
orward or an independent judiciary, ree press and genuine decision-making
through parliament. I such transormation took place, the US goernment
would triple assistance. \e urge arious political parties to seize this
opportunity and to put the grudges o the past in the past and look ahead to
the uture and exercise the trust put in them by the people in these diicult
circumstances.
1hese were the main eatures o a press conerence held by three US
senators namely, Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Chuck lagel
at the Serena lotel. 1he US Press Attach and spokesperson, Dr. Llizabeth
O. Colton acted as moderator. A large group o domestic and oreign
journalists rom both print and electronic media also attended the unction.
1he three senators looked positie, conident and rank in answering arious
questions pertaining to the uture coalition goernment, uture role o Gen.
Perez Musharra, bilateral relations, nuclear programme and the \ar Against
1error.
Mr. Biden maintained that the election had gien the moderate
majority a clear oice and clear stake in the system. le urged political leaders
to ocus on the uture emphasizing that it was important to moe rom a
policy ocused on the personality to a genuine people`s policy. Answering a
question on the bilateral relations, Biden held that it was in the interest o the
US and the world to see a stable Pakistan whose people hae conidence in
their goernment and democratic process.
John Kerry, in his statement, paid a tribute and congratulations to the
people o Pakistan or holding a credible election and expressed his admiration
at their courage and unbelieable thrust or change`. Speaking on the
importance o democracy, Kerry noted returning to democracy is in the best
interest o Pakistan and the region`. le was jubilant and described the post-
election moments as historic and decisie. le joined Biden by urging leaders
o arious political parties to put aside their dierences and seize this
opportunity to ensure workable democratic process.
Regarding his meeting along with other senators with President
Perez Musharra, Kerry disclosed that he ound the President looking
orward or the election results and to work with other parties`. le said that
President Musharra assured the delegation that he would respect the power o
the uture Prime Minister and his goernment regarding prisoners and the
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66
judiciary. Kerry hoped that the uture cooperation between the President and
the uture Prime Minister would be ulilled.
Kerry also disclosed that the delegation met leaders o the major
political parties, including Mr. Asi Ali Zardari and Mr. Nawaz Shari who
both promised to build a genuine coalition goernment and expressed
willingness to work with other parties in the best interest o the Pakistani
people.` On the bilateral relations, Kerry reiterated long term relations with
Pakistan which would not be personality-centric but country and people-
centric.
In his remarks, Sen. Chuck lagel commended the democratic process
in Pakistan and said that democracy means sel-correction and that each
election would produce new hope, new possibilities, new trust and new
conidence. Admitting that challenges and problems still exist and that there
will be dierences in political process, lagel adised consensus o purpose`
in addressing the problems o this great nation`.
Speaking on the regional importance o elections, lagel maintained
that South Asia was most critical and important than other part o the world
and that stability o the region is in the interest o Pakistan, Aghanistan, India
and the rest o the world. lagel maintained that this election had broken the
cycle o despair and promised more US assistance in education, healthcare and
inrastructure. le particularly expressed gratitude or the hospitality o the
people o Pakistan.
Answering a question about his perception o terrorism and
insurgency, Biden obsered that he held talks with President Musharra, ISI
and political leaders and ound them committed to ight terrorism. le
described insurgency as a complicated issue stating that Baitullah Mehsud was
a tribal leader who would always hae a problem with democracy and tend to
work with Al-Qaeda and 1aliban. \hile expressing respect or the soereignty
o Pakistan, Biden stated that the US decision makers should enhance the
capacity o the Pak military to moe in the mountainous area and not to hae
non-realistic expectations. le pointed out that all the three senators were
critical o the administrations anti-terror policy and said it is badly deined
and badly managed`. le stated that the anti-terror policy created more
terrorists and enabled Al-Qaeda to reconstitute itsel. le adised the US
administration to do a better job in Aghanistan` to reliee the pressure on
Pakistan especially on border \azirisatn, lA1A and other regions. le
admitted that Pakistan aced ery complex and dierse array o challenges with
respect to terrorism and counseled the administration to understand this act
better.
Pa/i.tav Ob.errer, lebruary 20, 2008.


6
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

Lahore lebruary 19, 2008: 1he luman Rights Commission o Pakistan
applauds the people o Pakistan who oercame seeral obstacles and despite
pre-poll rigging gae a clear erdict in aour o democratic goernance.
Regrettably, this opportunity was not aailable to the electorate in Balochistan.
Boycott o worthy political leadership rom contesting the elections and their
call or staying away rom the polls, hae not relected a genuine will o the
people o Balochistan to the 2008 polls. 1his will pose a challenge to the
ederal parliament as well as the uture proincial goernment o the Proince.
1he people o Pakistan hae placed a monumental responsibility on
the winning political parties to ensure that the democratic transition takes
place. In addition, there are expectations rom the new Parliament to restore
the deposed judiciary, improe law and order and to sole the economic crisis.
1he new goernment will also be expected to ind imaginatie ways o
combating terrorism, without putting the lies o non-combatants in danger.
1his will require policies and actions built through consensus. Unilateral and
rash decisions o the past hae not curbed the rise o talibanisation` but added
to the miseries o the people. A large number o people hae been displaced,
lost their lies and been regularly exposed to iolence.
Pakistan`s ciil society, too, must continue to play their role and
maintain closer interaction with political parties.
lRCP would also like to express its gratitude to all oreign obserers,
who traeled to Pakistan to monitor our elections. Despite, the threat o
iolence, these obserers came to ensure that the true oice o the people o
Pakistan could be heard. 1he message is clear: rule by the military can no
longer be tolerated, whether in the name o combating terror or in the garb o
deliering a transition to democracy.

Asma Jahangir, ivav on line, 21 lebruary 2008
http:,,www.hindu.com,nic,pakelection.htm

PAKI STAN S VI CTORS MAY LACK STRENGTH TO OUST
MUSHARRAF

1his week`s election will leae President Perez Musharra weakened in his
post, but continuing returns and haggling oer the new goernment on
\ednesday showed his opponents likely to all short o the numbers needed
to impeach him.
Musharra is our problem,` said Ahmad Mukhtar, who successully
contested a seat against a powerul ally o Mr. Musharra, Chaudhry Shujaat
lussein. 1oday we don`t hae the two-thirds majority. It is ery diicult to
talk about impeachment.`
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68
1he party does not hae a simple majority on its own and will hae to
enter a coalition to orm a goernment. It is holding discussions with the party
that won the second-most seats, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the party o
ormer Prime Minister Nawaz Shari.
A coalition o the two parties would hae the necessary simple
majority, including resered seats allocated or women, to orm a goernment
and nominate a prime minister.
Beyond that, it would need to bring in smaller parties or some
independents, said Rehman Malik, a senior oicial o the Pakistan Peoples
Party, which had been led by Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated. Any moe
against Mr. Musharra depends how strong we are in coalition,` he said.
1he president dismissed calls or him to resign. In an interiew with
1he \all Street Journal, he was asked i he would quit or retire. No, not yet,`
he was quoted as saying. \e hae to moe orward in a way that we bring
about a stable democratic goernment to Pakistan.` le said he would work
with any party and any coalition, because that is in the interest o Pakistan.`
Asi Ali Zardari, the widower o Ms. Bhutto, who now leads the
Pakistan Peoples Party, ruled out working with any members o the ormer
goernment on 1uesday.
But Mr. Malik said most senior members o the Pakistan Muslim
League-Q, the pro-Musharra party, had lost their seats. le said those who
had won were not so strongly ailiated with the party as to be unacceptable.
le said it would take three or our more days o talks to work out a
coalition.
Mr. Shari and Mr. Zardari are due to meet 1hursday in Islamabad.
Pakistan Peoples Party oicials say a coalition between their two parties would
be the strongest and best combination.
One compelling reason is that Mr. Shari`s party is the strongest in the
important proince o Punjab, Pakistan`s most populous. It is likely to orm
the goernment there, and so should be part o the national one, too. Any
national goernment that does not hae the Punjab goernment on board is
intrinsically unstable, the party oicials said.
\et the two parties hae dierent positions on Mr. Musharra and on
the man who has most threatened his presidency, the deposed Supreme Court
chie justice, Itikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Mr. Shari has consistently said that he will not work with Mr.
Musharra and has called or him to resign. But Mr. Zardari has not taken a
clear stand.
1he two parties drew up a Charter or Democracy last year. In it, they
pledged to undo many o the constitutional changes passed under Mr.
Musharra and preious military regimes, including an article that allows the
president to dismiss Parliament and the goernment.

69
Mr. Musharra also passed a law that barred anyone rom sering as
prime minister or a third term, which was clearly aimed at Mr. Shari and Ms.
Bhutto. Both sered two terms as prime minister.
International election obserers said \ednesday that the election had
not met international standards, mainly because o the seriously lawed pre-
election enironment. 1hey cited in particular the period o emergency rule in
Noember, which aored the goernment`s candidates.
\et they said that the election still proed competitie, that oters
were able to express their will and that the ote produced a result broadly
accepted by the population. Millions o Pakistanis took a leap o aith
Monday by showing up at the polls,` said James Moody, who led an American
group o election obserers.
Despite ears o ote rigging, that did not happen on a large scale, the
obserers said.
Diplomats said the strong international pressure on Mr. Musharra to
allow ree and air elections had played an important part in preenting large-
scale abuses. Neertheless, obserers said that numerous complaints still must
be inestigated, and that 10 percent o the results had not been announced
because o discrepancies.
Opposition parties are questioning the results o the pro-Musharra
party, which ended up with 42 seats despite signiicant losses nationwide.
Obserers rom the Luropean Union, who hae been in Pakistan or
the last two months, and the group o American experts strongly criticized the
prelude to the elections.
1he serious assault on Pakistan`s constitutional order and
undamental laws in the pre-election enironment preented the election
rom meeting international standards,` said the American group, Democracy
International, which ielded 38 international obserers on Llection Day.
Jane Perlez reported rom Lahore, Pakistan, and Carlotta Gall rom
Islamabad. Salman Masood contributed reporting rom Islamabad.

Carlotta Gall, 1be êr Yor/ 1ive., lebruary 21, 2008
http:,,www.nytimes.com,2008,02,21,world,asia,21pstan.html_r~1&re~
world&ore~slogin

BRI TAI N GREETS PAKI STANI S

1he UK goernment endorsed the inding o the LU mission and noticed
that the elections were completely air, despite procedural problems.
A loreign and Commonwealth Oice spokesperson said: \e
congratulate people o Pakistan or exercising their right at the ballot box and
their reusal to allow iolent extremism to preent democracy taking its
course.`
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MUSHARRAF SHOWED GRACE I N DEFEAT: KERRY

President Perez Musharra displayed a kind o grace in accepting` the
deeat o his allies in elections, US senator and poll monitor John Kerry said
on \ednesday.
\e would like to say he kept his promise to hold elections.
Imperect as it was, it produced results... and he showed a kind o grace in
accepting what people had said,` Mr Kerry said in New Delhi, a day ater
meeting Mr Musharra in Islamabad.
Mr Kerry was part o a team o eteran US senators, along with
Joseph Biden and Chuck lagel, who monitored Pakistan`s crucial ote held on
Monday.
Mr Biden said Mr Musharra had told them that the people had
spoken - this will not change, the results are clear, there would be no push
back at all` against the results.
Mr Kerry said it was up to Mr Musharra and the Pakistani people to
decide whether he stayed on as president in the wake o the election results
which saw the president`s allies beaten by the two main opposition parties.
It would be totally inappropriate or us as American oicials... to
express any iews on this,` he said when asked i Mr Musharra should resign.
I they recognise this opportunity correctly, this could be a transition
that is ery important or the larger stability o Pakistan and also or the
region,` Mr Kerry said.
It is up to the Pakistani people to see that the next ew days are well
used,` he added.
On the impact the election results would hae on the US-led war on
terror, Mr Kerry said: I don`t think it ,the war on terror, rests on a single
man.`
\e will deal with and work with the next set o leaders,` Mr lagel
said.

FREE AND FAI R

leadlines across the world hae cried out or weeks that Pakistan`s
elections. were rigged long beore any oter dropped a paper ballot into the
oting box. Predictions o iolence were just as numerous. But, lo and behold,
almost 40 per cent o Pakistanis o oting age made their way to the polling
stations unmolested and cast their otes.
And, in a surprise to all the doomsayers, mainstream opposition
candidates beat out many oice-holders who had come to see their positions
in goernment as permanent.

1
Clearly, such a deeat o President Perez Musharra`s candidates could come
about only i the elections were, indeed, ree, air and transparent.
.Just a ew months ago, he declared emergency rule, a sure sign,
many said, that he was not the democrat he had presented himsel to the world
as being. lree and peaceul elections certainly relect that his primary interest,
ater all, is the good o Pakistan.
O course, where Pakistan goes rom here is still up in the air. Calls
or Musharra`s resignation hae already begun, and they are likely to intensiy
in coming days and weeks. Musharra has, or a long time, receied the
backing o the US, much o Lurope and the Gul states, which has been a
thorn in the sides o many Pakistanis. A democratically-elected goernment, in
theory, should continue to receie backing rom these states, but it is not clear
i a new goernment will court such support and whether the Pakistani people
really want it.
As long as Musharra continues to ollow the rule o law and accepts
the election results as the mandate o the people, his legacy seems assured.
\hateer one thinks o his policies up to this point, his recognition and
acceptance o the people`s wishes will demand that history regard him in a
aourable light. - ,leb 20,

1he Saudi Gazette, Darv, lebruary 21, 2008

ZARDARI VOWS TO FORM GOVERNMENT OF CONSENSUS

PPP Co-Chairperson Asi Ali Zardari has said that the party would try to orm
a Goernment o national consensus taking on board all political parties.
Addressing a news conerence in Islamabad \ednesday ater Central
Lxecutie Committee meeting o the party, he said they will talk to all political
parties including those out o the parliament.
1he PPP emerged with the largest number o seats in the National
Assembly ollowing a general election on Monday, but does not command a
majority.
Mr. Zardari said the PPP was in a comortable position to orm a
stable goernment in Sindh but it is their desire to co-opt the MQM as well.
\e also had working relations with MQM in the past`, he said.
1o a question about possibility o talks and cooperation with the
PML,Q,, he said the party has been wiped out in the elections.
Mr. Zardari said the pro-Musharra Pakistan Muslim League was
unwelcome in a coalition, but the PPP wanted the PML`s junior partner in the
last goernment, the Muttahida Qaumi Moement, to join. I want to make a
goernment along with the MQM,` he added. Mr. Asi Zardari said he has
contacted Qazi lussain Ahmad, Imran Khan, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and
would be meeting PML,N, leader Mian Nawaz Shari tomorrow.
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2
Responding to another question Mr. Zardari said he would not be a
candidate or the slot o the Prime Minister as the party has senior leadership
or the
purpose. le, howeer, said the name is not being indicated pending
consultations with other political parties or the ormation o the goernment.
le said the party wants to strengthen the judiciary and parliament and
grant maximum proincial autonomy and reedom o media. le said PLMRA
would be made autonomous with representation rom the media and wage
board would be implemented.
Mr. Asi Ali Zardari said it will be up to the next parliament to decide
whether to work with President Perez Musharra.
\e want to orm goernment but it must be one with authority,` he
stressed. le said he is not a candidate or the Prime Minister`s job and this will
be oered to a senior member o the party.

Pa/i.tav Ob.errer, 21 lebruary 2008
http:,,www.pakobserer.net,news,topstories02.asp

ZARDARI , NAWAZ AGREE TO FORM COALI TI ON

1hree parties that emerged as the main winners o Monday`s election said ater
their talks on 1hursday they had agreed to orm a coalition to goern at the
centre and in proinces, but ticklish details o what could be a landmark
combine o ormer political oes remained to be sorted out.
1he outcome became known ater Pakistan People`s Party chairman
Asi Ali Zardari held separate meetings with Pakistan Muslim League-N leader
Nawaz Shari and Awami National Party president Asandyar \ali at the start
o a dialogue or what he isualises as a PPP-led goernment o national
consensus`.
Mr Shari, whose party came second in the National Assembly ater
PPP, but topped in the Punjab legislature, said the two parties had agreed to
respect each other`s mandate and would cooperate with each other in the
centre as well as the proinces to complete their ie-year terms in
goernment.
Mr \ali, whose ANP has emerged as the largest group in the N\lP,
said ater the meeting with Mr Zardari earlier in the day that the two sides had
agreed to be part o a coalition as well as to struggle jointly to realise their aims
on our issues: proincial autonomy, judicial reorms, war on terror` and
soereignty o parliament.
loweer, the main show o the day was a joint news conerence by
Mr Zardari and Mr Shari ater their two-hour talks at the PPP leader`s
residence, where they announced what seemed to be a meeting o minds een
on some ticklish issues about the political uture o President Perez

3
Musharra and the independence o judiciary, including the reinstatement o
about 60 judges o superior courts.
Mr Shari said the two sides had also agreed to implement Charter o
Democracy that he had signed with assassinated PPP leader Benazir Bhutto in
London in 2006 in letter and in spirit`. 1hat will look ater the major issue o
restoring the constitution to its pre-Oct 12, 1999 shape.
Mr Zardari, whose party also won a simple majority in the Sindh
Assembly besides coming second in Punjab, the N\lP and Balochistan
assemblies ater the PML-N, ANP and PML-Q, respectiely, told the news
conerence that talks between the two parties would continue in the uture to
work out modalities` o their cooperation that could not be done in their
meeting on 1hursday. le said: In principle, we hae decided to stay
together.`
1he talks, which are likely to continue until the irst session o the
newly elected National Assembly expected to be called next month, came
while pressure began to mount on the president to step down ater a
humiliating deeat o his loyalists and rejection o his policies in Monday`s
election.
But the discredited regime seemed to be countering with its own
pressure tactics such as pressing disputed long-standing charges against Mr
Zardari in a Swiss court that he had stashed millions o dollars o ill-gotten
money in Swiss banks, just as a PPP-led goernment seemed only days away,
and a show o orce on 1hursday against protesting lawyers.
Some igures o the deeated parties een predicted the new coalition
would last only a ew months and PML president Chaudhry Shujaat lussain
seemed to be prooking the PML-N chie by daring him to hae the sacked
judges reinstated.
Len apparent courtesy calls by western diplomats on Mr Zardari and
Mr Shari hae led to speculations about possible urging to them to work with
President Musharra or ear his absence rom the scene could weaken
Pakistan`s key role in the so-called war against terrorism.
Although Mr Zardari aoided comments about his party`s chances o
haing to work with Mr Musharra, Mr Shari, in reply to a question i any
deadline would be gien or the president to resign, said he would preer the
now retired army chie departed today`, but added: 1he sooner he does, the
better.`
On the same issue, the PML-N leader said: 1he nation has gien its
erdict and he ,Musharra, should accept it.`
Asked about his party`s terms or joining the coalition, he said: \e
hae no demands rom each other. \e hae accepted each other`s mandate.
\e strongly eel that we should support each other to complete the tenure.`
In reply to a question about the possibility o associating with the
ormerly ruling and pro-Musharra Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Mr Zardari
IPRI lactile

4
said: \e are not looking at pro-Musharra orces. \e beliee that pro-
Musharra orces do not exist.`
But he has said the PPP would like the MQM to join the coalition.

Darv, 22 lebruary 2008

PAKI STANI S STRI KE POLI TI CAL ACCORD

1he two main opposition parties that won Pakistan`s elections this week
announced 1hursday that they had set aside their dierences and would orm
a goernment, urther isolating President Perez Musharra, America`s aored
ally here.
1he speedy accord, just three days ater the oerwhelming deeat o
Mr. Musharra`s party, was another setback or the embattled Pakistani
president and his backers in \ashington.
Since the rout o Mr. Musharra`s political supporters, who won just
40 o 22 seats contested Monday, the Bush administration has gone out o its
way to express its conidence in the president as a cooperatie ally in the
campaign against terrorism or the last six years.
President Bush took time out o his Arica trip to call Mr. Musharra
soon ater the ote, and Bush administration oicials hae said they would still
like to see him as part o a power-sharing deal.
But at a news conerence, the two opposition leaders, Asi Ali Zardari,
o the Pakistan Peoples Party, and Nawaz Shari, the head o the Pakistan
Muslim League-N, all but snued out what hope remained or such a plan.
Instead, the men announced that they would join orces and exclude the
remnants o Mr. Musharra`s party in their coalition. Both had sti words or
Mr. Musharra, reeling in the opportunity to skewer the man who had
dispatched them, on separate occasions in the 1990s, into exile.
Asked by a reporter i Mr. Musharra could lend any help to the new
goernment, Mr. Shari replied to much laughter, le is not capable o giing
any kind o help anymore.`
Mr. Zardari was more crisp. \e are not looking at the pro-Musharra
orces,` he said. I do not beliee the pro-Musharra orces exist.`
1he assistant secretary o state or South Asia, Richard A. Boucher,
said the Bush administration would work with whateer goernment the
Pakistanis ormed. \e look orward to working with whoeer emerges as
prime minister, we look orward to working with President Musharra in his
new role,` he said in Brussels on 1hursday.
But an opposition coalition that threatens Mr. Musharra is likely to
leae the Bush administration uneasy. In addition, both opposition leaders are
regarded with some skepticism in \ashington, and hae a long history o
tangles with Mr. Musharra and corruption accusations.

5
In the past, the Bush administration has oiced concerns about Mr.
Shari, who is perceied as being close to some o Pakistan`s Islamist parties,
as a potential ally in ighting the growing insurgency o the 1aliban and Al
Qaeda, a criticism his supporters contend is unair.
Mr. Shari, ousted rom his second term as prime minister in 1999 in a
coup by Mr. Musharra when he was army chie, is also seen by the
administration as being too hostile to Mr. Musharra.
Ater his ouster, Mr. Shari reached a deal with Mr. Musharra: his
sentence in a 2000 coniction on corruption and hijacking charges was
commuted, and he was sent into exile in Saudi Arabia, where he remained until
last Noember.
\hen Mr. Zardari was released rom prison in 2004, ater spending
eight years in jail while accused o corruption, he went into exile in Dubai and
New \ork, returning only ater the assassination o his wie, Benazir Bhutto,
on Dec. 2.
As the head o the largest ote-getting party on Monday, Mr. Zardari
inited Mr. Shari to join his party in Parliament. Mr. Shari accepted, and the
two announced their accord later at a news conerence at Mr. Zardari`s
spacious Islamabad house.
\eè agreed on a common agenda, and we will work together to
orm a goernment in the center,` Mr. Shari said.
1he dierences between the opposition leaders centered on how hard
to oppose Mr. Musharra now and how ar to go in undoing many o the
unpopular steps he took ater he declared emergency rule on No. 3.
\hile Mr. Shari has called or the president`s impeachment, Mr.
Zardari has been less strident in his opposition.
Mr. Shari has also stressed the need to reinstate the Supreme Court
judges who seemed poised to declare Mr. Musharra ineligible or another
presidential term when he dismissed them under his emergency decree. Many
o the judges remain under house arrest, and the call resonated with many
oters.
Mr. Zardari, who aces corruption charges rom the 1990s in the
Pakistani courts and might suer rom independent-minded courts, had been
less decisie on the issue. But by 1hursday night the two men suggested they
were in harmony on the judges, and it was Mr. Shari who had to bend to Mr.
Zardari`s point o iew.
In principle, there is no disagreement on the restoration o the
judiciary,` Mr. Shari said. \e will work out the modalities in the
Parliament.`
Perhaps acing the reality o a lack o numbers in the new Parliament,
Mr. Shari also appeared to hae sotened his insistence that Mr. Musharra be
impeached. 1he coalition between the parties o Mr. Zardari and Mr. Shari
IPRI lactile

6
would all short o the two-thirds majority needed in the lower house or
impeachment.
And een though analysts said they were likely to stitch smaller parties
into the goernment, the coalition would still need control o the Senate.
Currently, the party that has supported Mr. Musharra, Pakistan Muslim
League-Q, dominates it.
Len so, the balance o power now rests with Mr. Musharra`s
opponents, who will control Parliament and name a new prime minister. 1he
opposition could use its majority to roll back many o the unpopular steps, like
restrictions on the news media, that Mr. Musharra decreed last year when he
was still both president and army chie.
Since then, under great pressure, Mr. Musharra yielded control oer
the army, Pakistan`s most powerul institution. Monday`s election and the
announcement by the opposition parties completed the return to ciilian rule.
As the negotiations proceeded between Mr. Shari and Mr. Zardari in
the last two days, political circles here were awash with talk that \ashington
was interering, trying to micromanage a process in which the Bush
administration has much at stake.
1he impression that the United States was meddling was ortiied
\ednesday when Mr. Zardari was summoned to the American Lmbassy or a
meeting with the ambassador, Anne \. Patterson.
Aterward, Mr. Zardari was portrayed as a creature o the Americans
who wanted him to work with Mr. Musharra, a negatie perception or a
politician in a country where recent polls show the United States has a
aorable rating o just 16 percent.
An article in the newspaper 1he News on 1hursday by the journalist
Mariana Baabar said: Lyebrows were raised as to why Zardari, in his present
position when his party has receied the people`s mandate, elt it necessary to
drie all the way and call on the U.S. enoy.`
1he writer continued: lae you eer heard o or seen India`s Sonia
Gandhi going to the American Lmbassy while in the opposition` 1he correct
protocol, Pakistanis said, was or Ms. Patterson to isit Mr. Zardari.
But Mr. Zardari, who joined his wie, Ms. Bhutto, on a trip to
\ashington last all when she was in talks with the Bush administration on
returning to Pakistan to join Mr. Musharra in the goernment, brushed o
the notion that he was under pressure to conorm to a pro-Musharra agenda.
I I couldn`t come under pressure with eight years o prison lie, I
don`t think I would come under pressure now,` Mr. Zardari said at the news
conerence.
Beore the joint appearance, the leader o the anti-Musharra lawyers
moement, Aitzaz Ahsan, accused the Bush administration o being reluctant
to recognize that the Pakistani oters had rejected Mr. Musharra.

Mr. Ahsan, who was arrested on No. 3 when Mr. Musharra imposed
emergency rule and ired the chie justice o the Supreme Court and many
other judges, remains under house arrest in Lahore.
But since 1uesday he has been allowed to hold news conerences in
his study and to receie isitors, one o them the United States consul general
in Lahore, Bryan lunt.
Mr. Ahsan said he had blunt words or Mr. lunt, telling him that the
United States was being too supportie o Mr. Musharra. 1he guy is history,
please don`t prop him up,` he said he told the diplomat. Mr. Ahsan said the
United States should ask Mr. Musharra to resign.
Mr. Ahsan is a senior member o the Pakistan Peoples Party, although
he had a prickly relationship with Ms. Bhutto in recent years. lrom his talks
with his colleagues in the Peoples Party, he said he understood the Americans
were pushing or the party to align with the president`s party.
Jane Perlez contributed reporting rom Islamabad, Pakistan

Jane Perlez and Carlotta Gall, 1be êr Yor/ 1ive., lebruary 22, 2008
ore~slogin

PPP, ANP JOI N HANDS FOR UNFETTERED JUDI CI ARY

1he Pakistan People`s party ,PPP, and the Awami National Party ,ANP, on
1hursday reached on agreement in principle to moe together or a coalition
at the ederal and proincial leels or the supremacy o parliament, war
against terror, proincial autonomy and independence o the judiciary. \e
met today and agreed in principal to moe together or democracy and
Pakistan,` said PPP Co-chairman Asi Ali Zardari and ANP President
Asandyar \ali Khan while talking to newsmen ater holding the meeting at
the Parliament Lodges here.
Asi Ali Zardari was accompanied by opposition leader in the Senate
Raza Rabbani, PPP Inormation Secretary Sherry Rehman and party
spokesman larhatullah Babar.
1he meeting continued or more than an hour at the residence o
Asandyar \ali at the lodges in which both the leaders discussed all the issues
pertaining to the ormation o a coalition at the ederal as well as proincial
leel.
According to the sources, there was consensus during the meeting
that the party haing majority at the proincial leel would head the
goernment.
1he sources also disclosed the main demand o the ANP that the
N\lP should be renamed as Pakhtoonkhawa` that was agreed in principle.
IPRI lactile

8
Both the parties were in unanimity that it was the prerogatie o the proincial
assembly to decide in this regard and the decision would be accepted.
Meanwhile, talking to newsmen ater the meeting, Asi Zardari said
that there was a complete agreement in principle between both the parties that
they would moe together or democracy. \e hae an agreement that both
the aims to strengthen parliament and to ree the judiciary, and or this we
hae to moe together,` he added.
ANP President Asandyar \ali Khan said that during the meeting all
the issues were pondered and it was principally agreed that both the parties
hae to moe orward or the rule o law, supremacy o parliament, war
against terror and proincial autonomy.
le said all the basic issues hae been agreed and they will continue to
meet to complete the inal aim or the cooperation.
\hen asked rom Asi Ali Zardari about the reports o his meeting
with the top aide o President Perez Musharra on \ednesday, he denied it
saying, larhatullah Babar has already issued a contradiction o these reports.`

1be êr., 22 lebruary 2008

General Llections 2008 Results
Party Position National Assembly & Provincial Assemblies
Party NA PP
1
PS
2
Pl
3
PB
4

PPPP 88 66 18
PML,N, 66 102 0 4 0
PML,Q, 38 64 10 4 1
MQM 19 0 36 0 0
ANP 10 0 2 29 2
BNP,A, 1 0 0 0 5
MMA 5 2 0 8 5
Others 41 39 11 16 10
1. Proincial Assembly Punjab
2. Proincial Assembly Sindh
3. Proincial Assembly N\lP
4. Proincial Assembly Balochistan

9
GENERAL ELECTI ONS 2008 RESULTS AFTER NOMI NATI ON OF
RESERVED SEATS

Party NA PP PS PB PI
PPPP 120 106 88 11 39
PML (N) 90 165 0 0 09
PML(Q) 51 86 10 20 05
MQM 25 0 51 0 0
ANP 13 0 0 04 46
MMA 06 02 0 10 14
PML I 05 04 09 0 0
BNP (A) 01 0 0 0 0
PPP (S) 01 0 0 0 0
NPP 01 0 02 0 0
Independent/others 18 02 0 10 06
1otal Results 331 365 159 63 11
1otal Seats 342 31 168 65 124

1be êr., March 10, 2008

Previous General Llections 2002 Results

Detailed Position of Political Parties / Alliances in
National Assembly General Llections - 2002

S 4 Party/Alliance
No. of
Seats
Secured
1otal
Votes
Secured
Percentage of
Seats won out
of 272 General
Seats
Percentage
of Party
Votes by
1otal
Valid
Votes
1 PML ,OA,
118 689858 33.82 26.63
2 MMAP
59 3181483 16.54 12.28
3 PPPP
80 361423 23.16 28.42
4 PML,N,
18 3292659 5.15 12.1
5 MQM
1 920381 4.8 3.55
6 MQMP
1 5400 0.3 0.21
National Alliance
16 126268 4.8 0.49
IPRI lactile

80
8 PML ,l,
5 318054 1.4 1.23
9 PML,J,
3 24101 0.4 0.93
10 PPP ,Sherpao,
2 125145 0.4 0.48
11 BNP
1 54955 0.3 0.21
12 J\P
1 5966 0.3 0.02
13 PA1
1 196808 0.3 0.6
14 PML ,Z,
1 833 0.3 0.34
15 P1I
1 160686 0.3 0.62
16 PKMAP
1 35254 0.3 0.14
1 IND
1 284548 6.25 10.98
1O1AL
342 2S906228

http:,,www.ecp.go.pk,content,GL-2002.htm

PREVI OUS PROVI NCI AL ASSEMBLI ES ELECTI ONS 2002
RESULTS

PUNJAB PROVINCL
S 4 Party Name 1otal Women
Non-
Muslim
Grand
1otal
1
Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal
Pakistan
9 2 0 11
2 National Alliance
12 3 0 15
3 Pakistan Muslim League ,J,
3 1 0 4
4
Pakistan Muslim League
,Jinnah,
3 1 0 4
5 Pakistan Muslim League ,N,
38 8 1 4
6 Pakistan Muslim League ,QA,
168 3 5 209
Pakistan Muslim League ,Z,
1 0 0 1
8
Pakistan Peoples Party
Parliamentarians
63 14 2 9
1otal Party Candidates
296 66 8 370

81
Independents
0 0 0 0
Vacant
0 1 0 1

Grand 1otal Constituency
Seats
296 67 8 37J
SINDH PROVINCL
Non-
Muslim
Grand
1otal
1
Mohajar Qaumi Moement
Pakistan
1 0 0 1
2
Pakistan
8 2 0 10
3 Muttahidda Qaumi Moement
31 2 40
4 National Alliance
12 3 1 16
5 Pakistan Muslim League ,l,
9 2 1 12
14 3 1 18

Parliamentarian
51 12 4 6
J26 29 9 J64
Independents
2 0 0 2
Recounting
2 0 0 2

Seats
J30 29 9 J68
NWI PROVINCL
Non-
Muslim
Grand
1otal
1 Awami National Party
8 2 0 10
2
Pakistan
52 13 1 65
3 Swabi Qaumi Mahaz
1 0 0 1
4 Pakistan Muslim League ,N,
4 1 0 5
8 2 0 10
6
Pakistan Peoples party
,Sherpao,
10 2 1 13

Parliamentarian
8 2 0 10
IPRI lactile

82
8 Pakistan 1ehreek-e-Insaa
1 0 0 1
92 22 2 JJ6
Independents
0 0
Vacant
0 0 1 1

Seats
99 22 3 J24
BALOCHIS1AN PROVINCL
Non-
Muslim
Grand
1otal
1
Balochistan National
Democratic Party
1 0 0 1
2
Balochistan National
Moement
3 1 0 4
3 Balochistan National Party
2 0 0 2
4 Jamhoori \attan Party
3 1 0 4
5
Pakistan
14 3 1 18
6 National Alliance
5 1 1
Pakistan Muslim League ,QA,
15 4 1 20
8
Parliamentarian
2 0 0 2
9
Pakistan Pakhtoonkhawa Milli
Awami Party
2 1 0 3
47 JJ 3 6J
Independents
1 0 0 1
Postponed Repoll
2 0 0 2
Lnquiry
1 0 0 1

Seats
SJ JJ 3 6S

http:,,www.ecp.go.pk,content,PResult.htm

General Elections 2008

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