September 21, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 08, 1428

PESHAWAR, Sept 20: Pukhtunkhwa National Democratic Alliance convener Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that fair and transparent elections cannot be held under the incumbent chief election commissioner as his impartiality has become questionable after providing relief to President Pervez Musharraf.

The senator told journalists here on Thursday that the alliance would not abandon the idea of resigning from the assemblies to block Gen Musharraf’s re-election. He said the electoral college would be incomplete after the resignation of a majority of members of the NWFP and Balochistan Assemblies and several in other provincial assemblies and there would be no justification of holding the presidential election.

He said the announcement of schedule for presidential election was meaningless as the decision of the Election Commission was based on compromise and bargaining. He said the democratic forces and the people of the country would not accept such controversial decisions.

Responding to a question, he urged Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto to join the rest of the opposition parties in their struggle against Gen Musharraf from the platform of the All Parties’ Democratic Movement. He said the APDM had a clear agenda of ousting Gen Musharraf from power and ending the army’s role in politics for ever.