October 31, 2001	Wednesday	Shaba’an 13, 1422

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ISLAMABAD Oct 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has assured politicians that the general election would be held on schedule, as announced by him earlier, and there should be no doubt about this.

Sharing the public resentment over large-scale killings of civilians in the US-led air strikes on Afghanistan, the president said Pakistan wanted an early end to the attacks.

He was talking to a five-man delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League (LM), led by Mian Mohammad Azhar, at a meeting called by him.

The president sought the cooperation of politicians in face of aggressive protests in the country, and the PML leaders assured him of their support.

However, the president did not discuss his tentative Nov 9 visit to New York to address UN General Assembly, where he is scheduled to meet President Bush on Nov 10, against the impression created by some reports.

The delegation comprised party presidents from the four provinces: Salim Saifullah Khan (NWFP), Jam Yousuf (Balochistan) Chaudhry Pervez Elahi (Punjab) and Ghaus Bakhsh Mahar (Sindh).

Later talking to newsmen at his residence, Mian Azhar criticized the killings of innocent Afghans in the US air raids but said his party would not side with the forces who were protesting against these attacks and would not be a party to the call for a general strike in the country on Nov 9.

He said the president had told them that the plan for the general election would go as scheduled.

When asked whether the military regime was planning to put in place an interim national government, he rejected the idea as unfounded.

Mr Azhar said the composition of team which met the president was partially his choice and partially that of the government. He denied press reports of any rift in the party on the question of the team’s composition.