PESHAWAR, Sept 23: The representative of Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Pakistan has claimed that top jihadi leaders have extended support to the president in the Oct 9 presidential elections.

Mr Karzai's chief campaigner Abdul Jabbar Naeemi told a press conference here on Thursday that the incumbent president had emerged as a strong contender for the post after winning support of some influential Mujahideen.

He said that former Afghan prime minister Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani, Ittehad-i-Islami chief Abdur Rab Rasool Sayyaf and commanders in refugee camps had extended support to Mr Karzai.

Accompanied by Mr Karzai's campaign in-charge for Afghanistan, Humayun Shinwari, Mr Naeemi said that he had visited many refugee camps and added that voter registration there was the most important step to complete the democratization process in Afghanistan.

Dispelling an impression that the presidential election might be postponed again, he said the voter registration process would be completed according to the schedule and the election would be held on Oct 9.

Out of 18 contenders only one candidate Syed Ishaq Gillani has opened his election offices in Pakistan, apart from Mr Karzai. "We have established election offices for Hamid Karzai in Islamabad and Quetta also," Mr Naeemi said.

Another representative of President Karzai, Mohammad Daud Zazi, launched his election campaign in Kohat on Thursday, adds our correspondent. Talking to Dawn, Mr Daud said they would try to appoint the polling staff by Sept 27.

He said warlords did not want to see Afghanistan prosper and were trying to prolong fighting for their vested interest.