HARIPUR, Sept 8: Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan has said that the PML is committed to re-electing Gen Musharraf as president and the required number of votes is very much intact.

“There is no ambiguity in the Constitution regarding the presidential election and our figures (votes) are intact. Why should we think of other options,” he asked.

Speaking at a news conference here on Saturday, he

said the presidential elec-

tion would be held as per schedule, between Sept 15 and Oct

15, and the PML and its

allies would vote for Gen Musharraf.

The minister said he would contest the elections from

NA-19 on the PML ticket, adding that he had never applied for a ticket from any other party.

He said the PPP-Gen Musharraf deal, if materialised, would not affect the vote bank of the ruling PML because every party had its own identity and vote bank.

In reply to a question regarding former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s decision to return, he said: “Let’s see.”

Mr Ayub said he had fulfilled his promise and provided natural gas and electricity to the deprived and neglected areas of his constituency.

He said the construction of telephone exchanges, road network, a modern park, a sports stadium in Haripur, a grid station in Khanpur, carpeting of road in Khalabat Township and underpasses at different places on the main GT road were some of the projects he had carried out.