EC paves way for President’s oath
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—Election Commission of Pakistan has issued formal notification of result of the Presidential elections held on October 06 and declared President General Pervez Musharraf successful. Sources in the Election Commission told Online on Saturday that the formal notification about result of the Presidential elections 2007 has been issued, as the apex court vacated the interim stay order by which a bench of the Supreme Court on October 5 had restrained the Election Commission from issuing final notification of the result of the election of the returned candidate to the office of the President.
The notification has been sent to Cabinet division, which will complete the arrangements of the oath scheduled to be taken by the President for another term as Civilian head of State, sources maintained. It may be recalled that the Presidential elections was held in Parliament and Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP on October 06. Gen. Musharraf secured total 671 votes out of the 685 votes cast.
General Musharraf secured 252 votes from Senate and National Assembly, 253 from Punjab Assembly, 31 from NWFP Assembly, 102 from Sindh Assembly and 33 from Balochistan Assembly and declared successful candidate according to the unofficial result announced by Chief Election Commission Justice (Retd) Qazi Farooq. Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin the unanimous candidate of lawyer fraternity for the slot of Presidentship bagged only 8 votes.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that the official results can only be declared after it rules on petitions lodged by Musharraf’s opponents that his candidacy is unconstitutional. After the emergency rule and promulgation of Provincial Constitutional Ordinance (PCO), the judges who took fresh under PCO declared the Presidential as successful candidate for Presidential elections and directed Election Commission to relese official notification in this respect. The notification has been sent to cabinet division, which will complete all the arrangements regarding oath of the President and release the notification to be included in Gazette of Pakistan.
The formal announcement for the oath taking ceremony of President General Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan will be fixed after consultation between the Presidency and Chief Justice of Pakistan, relievable sources in Cabinet Division revealed here on Saturday. The Cabinet Division, after receiving the notification from Election Commission of Pakistan declaring President General Pervez Musharraf as successful candidate of Presidential Election 2007 has said that formal announcement for his oath taking ceremony will be fixed after consultation between Presidency and Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Reliable sources further told Online that when President General Pervez Musharraf will take oath of his office, then a notification declaring that President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan has took oath of his office would be issued. Accordingly, his name would also published in the Gazette of Pakistan. Sources also revealed that President General Pervez Musharraf will take oath of his office as Civilian on November 29, 2007 (Thursday) by quitting the office of Chief of Army Staff.