ISLAMABAD, May 5: The Election Commission on Monday sent shockwaves across the political divide by postponing for two months the by-elections, slated for June 18, in view of a “deteriorating law and order situation”.

So sudden and abrupt was the move that it provoked a universal condemnation — from the prime minister’s office and ministers to senior members of the ruling coalition, Asif Zardari and Mian Shahbaz Sharif included, and opposition members. Some of them even went to the extent of terming it part of a conspiracy against the new set-up.

As criticism poured in from all directions within hours of the announcement by Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad, some infuriated members of the PML-N pointed an accusing finger at the presidency. This drew a prompt retort from a spokesman for President Pervez Musharraf.

A late night development further compounded the confusion as NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain went on record to claim that the provincial government had sought the postponement only after Rahman Malik, the prime minister’s adviser, made a request.

Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for the People’s Party, told Dawn after the revelation by the NWFP information minister that Rahman Malik should “explain his position to the party as well as the media”.

When journalists approached Rahman Malik for his reaction, he first simply said: “No comment,” but later said: “I have done nothing wrong and wait for an official statement.”

Information Minister Sherry Rahman emphatically brushed aside suggestions that the election commission had consulted the federal government before putting off the elections.

Earlier during the day, EC’s secretary Kanwar Dilshad told reporters that the decision had been taken in view of a report received from the NWFP home secretary that the elections should be put off because of an “adverse law and order situation” and the coming budget sessions in the National and provincial assemblies.

He told Dawn the decision had not been taken “under any pressure”. Mr Dilshad said the commission had not consulted political parties because it was expected to take “administrative decisions on its own”.

He countered a suggestion that elections in NWFP alone could have been put off by affirming that “by-elections are a part of the general election and under the law have to take place simultaneously”.

He said since 1985, by-elections had been taking place within 10 weeks after the general election.

He said a revised schedule would be notified soon. He clarified that the candidates who had already filed nomination papers need not file their papers afresh.

Political observers saw the move as an attempt to obstruct the election of PML-N chief Mian Shahbaz Sharif as member of the Punjab Assembly. Shahbaz Sharif has filed nomination papers for two Punjab Assembly constituencies from Lahore and has a declared intention of taking over as chief minister.

The observers said the decision to put off elections would also affect the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Aitzaz Ahsan, who is all set to contest elections for a National Assembly seat from Rawalpindi against former federal minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, who lost two constituencies in the city on Feb 18.

CONDEMNATION: Asif Ali Zardari, PPP co-chairman, condemned the postponement, saying he would inform the prime minister about his party’s reservations over the decision.