ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has decided to continue to hold the office of the presidency even after the October 2002 elections, informed sources said here on Friday.

He would, however, not go through the process of elections but perhaps use the powers he enjoys today under the provisional constitution order (PCO) to give himself an extension of at least three years.

The president, it is believed, feels that it would take him at least about three to four years to complete and strengthen the democratic and other institutions which he had started building soon after taking over the government on October 12, 1999.

Therefore, the sources added, he had decided to remain president for three to four years more. It is not clear if he would continue to hold the post of COAS in which he had already given himself extension for an indefinite period.

The sources said the elections would be held in time and there was no plan to set up a coalition government. Also, they said, the government was cutting no deals with any political party.

They said the government was rather amused at the way some politicians were trying to create the impression that any deal was in the offing.

When asked about the scheduled visit of Benazir Bhutto to India, the sources said the government was fully in control of things in the country and was not at all perturbed by such developments.

Meanwhile, the government is said to be continuously studying its Afghan policy and the policy makers reportedly meet every other day to assess the situation.

The government, it is said, believes that it had successfully safeguarded its national security, its Kashmir cause and nuclear assets in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy.

However, the recent statements by some US diplomats equating the Kashmir freedom struggle and terrorism have caused Pakistan to take up the issue with various world leaders.

Pakistan is also concerned about the growing public perception that it was being ordered around by the US. There were reports that the US was searching Pakistan’s ships in its waters for Osama bin Laden and also that it had closed down the Taliban embassy on the instructions of the US. The government is said to be chalking out a strategy to counter this impression.