PAKISTAN 18 February 2008 Volatile Pakistan due to hold postponed parliamentary election

On Jan 3 Pakistan's Election Commission rescheduled the election planned for Jan 8 for six weeks, triggering charges from opposition parties that the postponement was an attempt by President Pervez Musharraf's ruling party to avoid almost certain defeat if the vote were held as scheduled.

Musharraf is head of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and now a civilian.

The Election Commission, citing the violence and confusion that took hold in Pakistan after last week's assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said it would be impossible to hold an orderly vote as planned on Jan 8.

In the highly volatile aftermath of the assassination.Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League, led by Nawaz Sharif, are threatening to boycott the election to for the 342-seat National Assembly. It remains to be seen if negotiations can hammer out a deal with to make the poll results credible.

On 3 Nov Musharraf sacked judges who might have ruled against him on a legal challenge to his re-election. He also detained thousands of lawyers, judges and political opponents. Musharraf has since released many of the detainees, but the sacked judges have not been reinstated. He has appointed an interim government, largely of his own allies, to oversee the elections.

Another key opposition player in the boycott talks is former international cricket star Imran Khan, leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Top Islamist leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad is in talks with other opposition parties in his bid to boycott the elections. UPDATED Jan/08

RELATED READING:

Pakistan to delay election (WP 2 Jan 2008)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/01/02/ST2008010200715.html

Opposition to take part in election (NYT 9 Dec 2007)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/world/asia/10pakistan.html?hp