KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that no-one will be allowed to derail general elections on any pretext and reiterated his resolve about holding the polls on time, without delay of even one day.

Referring to Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march, he said the amicable resolution of the issue was a triumph of democracy and vindicated his party’s reconciliation policy.

A statement issued by the president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted him as saying: “Democracy and reconciliation have won …Bid to postpone elections has been thwarted.”

The president praised the unity demonstrated by political parties to safeguard democracy and said it needed to be preserved and strengthened.

He congratulated Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and praised coalition partners, opposition parties, civil society and media for the role they played in ensuring a peaceful end to the sit-in. He praised the interior ministry and law-enforcement agencies for deftly handling the situation in Islamabad.

Mr Zardari congratulated the leaders who took part in talks with Dr Qadri for their skill and perseverance which led to the success of the negotiations.