November 21, 2007	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 10, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Pakistan Muslim League secretary general Mushahid Hussain Sayed said on Tuesday that his party did not need the crutches of emergency to win elections and would support its lifting before polls.

Talking to Dawn he said he hoped that Gen Musharraf would honour the promise he had made in the Supreme Court to hang up the uniform before taking oath as president for the next term.

He expressed the hope that the apex court would announce its verdict by Nov 23 about the eligibility of Gen Musharraf to contest the presidential election.

The PML leader said that settlement of uniform issue and lifting of emergency before elections would help meet the challenge of the coming Commonwealth meeting and the mounting world pressure.

Answering a question, he said the PML had opposed the proposal to extend the tenure of assemblies or delay elections.

He demanded lifting of media curbs and said that the action was benefiting only the opposition.