KARACHI, Dec 6: President General Pervez Musharraf has said that general elections in the country will be held in 2007, and there will be no delay in this regard. “The year 2007 will be the year of next elections, which will be free and fair,” said President Musharraf, urging the people, particularly women, to get ready to vote and reject those opposing the women right’s law.

He was addressing a gathering of the women’s wing of the PML at the Chief Minister House on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, members of provincial cabinet and leaders of the ruling party were also present.

The president’s statement dispels misgivings created by statements of some federal ministers, particularly Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afghan Khan Niazi, that elections would be held in February 2008.

President Musharraf said that Pakistan would remain an Islamic country and no law would be enacted against the Quran and Sunnah. He said the Council of Islamic Ideology had declared the women’s rights law was in conformity with Islamic laws, and this should be enough to satisfy critics of the bill as ‘un-Islamic’.

He urged women to vote for moderates in next elections “because if they win, that means I win.”

He said the government had already given women 33 per cent representation in elected bodies. “However, more steps are needed,” he added.

Earlier, renowned religious scholar, Maulana Tariq Jameel called on the president at the Chief Minister House. The chief minister was also present at the meeting.

According to sources, Maulana Jameel expressed reservations over the passage of women’s rights bill. He explained to the president his viewpoint, and those of his colleagues, on the issue.

Maulana Jameel told the president that various clauses of the bill were in contravention of Quran and Sunnah, said the sources, adding that he called for giving due consideration to the reservations expressed by ulema in the best interest of the country and its people.—Online