ISLAMABAD, June 30: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi said on Thursday that the next general elections would be held under a caretaker set-up in 2007. Talking to reporters at a function in a local hotel, the minister said that both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif as heads of the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz could contest the next elections and that the constitution did not bar either one from becoming prime minister a third time.

Dr Sher Afgan said the present government would not conduct the elections in 2007 but would leave the task to a caretaker set-up that it would establish for the purpose. “Federal and provincial ministers of the caretaker government would not be eligible for contesting the polls,” he added.

Asked whether he would contest the forthcoming local government elections from his constituency, the minister said there was no restriction on MNAs, MPAs and even ministers from taking part in the local government polls.

“In 1985, I was the member of National Assembly, but I was also elected in local council elections. Similarly, now the sitting MNAs can also hold the office of district/tehsil nazim,” he said.