Islamabad: Pakistan’s Election Commission will consult political parties about postponing the January 8 general election and will announce a decision on Wednesday.
The Dawn newspaper quoting unnamed sources in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the poll may be deferred till February 11.
A delay appears certain, as ECP official Kanwar Dilshad told Reuters that "in principle" the election was being deferred.
"We don’t think that it would be possible for the commission to hold elections on January 8. We have received very negative reports from many parts of the country," another ECP official told IANS before going into the commission’s meeting on Tuesday that looked into the reports sent by provinces and district officials of the ECP.
"We believe that we need at least 10 days but due to Muharram, we'll have to delay the polls for four to five weeks," he said.
The Pakistan People’s Party, the party of assassinated Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, and Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Nawaz Sharif have opposed postponing the poll, but the pro-establishment Pakistan Muslim League (Q) has said holding free and fair elections soon after Benazir’s death is infeasible.
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