Presidential election 2007 today
By Makdoom Babar

ISLAMABAD—The votes for the Presidential elections 2007 would be cast today (Saturday) in the Senate, National Assembly and four Provincial Assemblies amid tight security arrangements throughout the country.
Members National Assembly, Provincial Assemblies and Senate will use their right to vote, as the election commission of Pakistan has made extensive arrangements for the conduct elections in a transparent manner while all material has been sent to Presiding officers in four Provinces.
Polling will be held in Parliament House, Provincial Assembly Lahore, Provincial Assembly Karachi, Provincial Assembly Peshawar and Provincial Assembly Quetta from 10:00am till 3:00 pm.
The names of Candidate for the slot of Presidentship are General Pervez Musharraf from Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and its Coalition Parties, Makhdoom Amin Fahim from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin the nominated candidate of lawyer community.
Faryal Talpur, Amin Fahim and Mian Muhammad Soomro are covering candidates of the President and it is expected that Mian Muhammad Soomro will withdraw from the elections before conclusion of elections.
The polling will be formally supervised by Chief Election Commissioner Justice Qazi Farooq and perform the duties of Returning Officer.
Chief Justices of Provincial High Courts will perform the duties of Presiding officers in the Provincial assemblies. The Presiding Officers include Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhary, Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed, CJ High Court of Sindh, Justice Tariq Pervez Khan, CJ Peshawar High Court and Justice Amanullah Khan, CJ High Court of Balochistan.
The balloting will be held secretly and the members will mark sign of (x) before their favourite Presidential candidate. The elections commission has prepared ballot papers for the Presidential elections. Authorities concerned throughout the country have taken special security measures to meet any untoward incidents. However, many Opposition Parties including Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) have announced to boycott the elections and already tendered their resignations while PPP will also not take Part in the elections.
Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin nominated by lawyer community and back by MMA also have same situation because MNAs and MPAs belonging to MMA had been resigned. Members belonging to the PML and its allied Parties have reached in Islamabad for voting. Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed Election Commission not to declare official result of Presidential elections however unofficial result will be announced.
Due to announcement of PPP to boycott the elections and resignation of MMA from the NA and PAs, it is firmly expected that the Gen. Musharraf will win the elections.
 

SC puts Musharraf’s future on ice ISLAMABAD—Pakistan’s Supreme Court kept the fate of President Pervez Musharraf’s re-election bid in its hands by deciding a vote could go ahead on Saturday, but a winner cannot be declared until it rules if he was eligible to stand. General Musharraf is sure to win the vote in parliament and the country’s four provincial assemblies. But the court’s decision to keep open a possibility of disqualification could weaken his position and deepen a sense of mounting uncertainty in nuclear-armed Pakistan Delivering the ruling, Justice Javed Iqbal said the court wanted more time to consider the merits of last-gasp opposition challenges to Musharraf running while still Army Chief. Rivals were at least relieved that Musharraf won’t be awarded victory on Saturday, even though they wanted the vote postponed. “It is a partial relief for us. Today’s order is the first step towards our victory,” said Hamid Khan, a lawyer for Wajihuddin Ahmed, a retired judge running against Musharraf. Independent analysts said the situation was finely balanced. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 17. The case is being heard by a bench of 10 judges, who are believed to be less receptive to the government than a bench that dismissed challenges to Musharraf’s candidacy a week ago. Musharraf’s current term of office is due to end on November 15, and he has vowed to quit the army if elected and be sworn in as a civilian leader eight years after taking power in a coup that ended a decade of civilian rule with Pakistan virtually bankrupt. The uniform is important to Musharraf because as long as he remains army chief he could declare emergency rule or martial law — options he has said he won’t take. The setback for Musharraf came after a week in which several pieces needed to secure his future appeared to fall into place. After frantic negotiations with self-exiled opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, Musharraf appeared on the brink of an accord with a potential ally who could shore up his position after a general election due by mid-January. Benazir Bhutto plans to end more than eight years of self-exile on October 18, and lead her Pakistan People’s Party in the election. The two leaders have hardly had a good word to say about each other in the past decade, but have long been regarded as natural allies against militancy and the growing influence of religious conservatives. The first stage of a power-sharing deal appeared settled on Friday when President signed a so-called National Reconciliation Ordinance that will erase 11 pending corruption charges against Bhutto and her husband. Other politicians and civil servants were also cleared of graft charges leveled before 1999. But the ordinance excluded Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf ousted and exiled in 1999, and blocked from returning last month, as he has been convicted of corruption. Bhutto said on Thursday once the reconciliation pact was in place, her assembly members would not join other opposition parties trying to spoil the credibility of the presidential election by quitting parliament. She said her members would abstain or vote for their own candidate. It was unclear how the Supreme Court ruling on Friday might affect the incipient deal with Bhutto. Musharraf needs a new pillar of support, as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League is expected to fare badly in the polls.

Qayyum hails SC decision regarding presidential election ISLAMABAD—Attorney General Justice (R) Malik Qayyum Fridaysaid that a significant aspect of the Supreme Court decision is that it hasvalidated the election of president by the sitting assemblies. Talking to a private television channel the AG said that the government plea in the case was that schedule of the elections may not be interrupted and the poling be held on time which the court has allowed. The Supreme Court in its short order has allowed the election process to ahead as scheduled while barring a formal notification about the election results till a final decision of the court on the petitions, he said. He said that President Musharraf will hold his present status tillNovember 15 and the formal notification of the election result would hopefully be available before that date. —Agencies