Elections set for imminent delay
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked all Governments of four Provinces besides offices of Election Commission to submit a formal report regarding law and order situation in the country on Tuesday (today). In this regard, an Emergency meeting of CEC under Chief Election Commissioner Justice retired Qazi Muhammad Farooq was held in Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday
The meeting was participated by Members of the Election Commission, Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Dilshad besides other officials. The meeting focussed on the grave security situation in the country following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Former PM on Thursday night.
During the meeting, Chief Election Commissioner Justice retired Qazi Muhammad Farooq was told that after the martyrdom of BB on December 27, angry mobsters set ablaze offices of Election Commission in most areas of Sindh including Dadu, Badin, Sanghar etc that resulted in huge loss to the material including Ballot Boxes, lists of Candidates and other data regarding upcoming polls was burned to ashes.
On the other hand, Election Commission of Pakistan directed Governments of all the four provinces to submit a security report on their respective districts on Tuesday (today). After the conclusion of the emergency meeting, Secretary EC Kanwar Dilshad told Journalists that a decision has not been made yet to delay the upcoming polls in the country adding final decision would be made on Tuesday.
He further added that ECP during its meeting expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of martyred BB. They offered Fateha for the departed soul and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and give courage to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.
Parliamentary elections seen as key to restoring democracy are set to be postponed for weeks in the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, Pakistani officials said Monday. A senior government official said that he expected a six-week delay in the elections now slated for Jan. 8, despite calls from Bhutto’s party, other opposition politicians and world leaders for the polls to be held on time. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.
Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilashad told reporters that a decision on the timing would be announced on Tuesday, but a recommendation “has been sent to the government for a delay.” The opposition has accused the commission of favoring President Pervez Musharraf’s backers. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the country’s most prominent opposition leader, threatened street protests if the vote was delayed.
“We will agitate,” he told The Associated Press in an interview. “We will not accept this postponement.” With newly released video footage of Bhutto’s killing raising fresh questions about the government’s version of how the former prime minister died, accusations of official complicity in the assassination could lead to major electoral gains for her backers and Sharif’s.