KUALA LUMPUR, June 9: President Pervez Musharraf told a Malaysian newspaper he remains committed to holding elections in October despite the ongoing India-Pakistan standoff.

“It is very certain there will be an election. We will have an elected government,” President Musharraf told the New Sunday Times in an interview.

President Musharraf said his government was intent on bringing back the “essence of democracy to Pakistan”.

Constitutional amendments would be debated over the coming weeks and decisions on how to proceed would be taken next month, he said.

The president said whoever was voted in as prime minister in October elections would assume responsibility for running the government.

“There will be a PM, and I will shed this function of running the government, which is the real power.

“What I will retain is the president’s authority to make sure the PM is governing well...To oversee is the only power that I will have,” he added.

A National Security Council, headed by the president, would also be set up. “The president will be the chairman but the chairman will not have the individual power to try and dismiss the government,” he said.

These were changes he planned to institutionalize so as to ensure that “the government functions”, he said.

Gen Musharraf also expressed admiration for Malaysia’s mix of tradition and the modern as an example for other Islamic countries.

RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS: He said authorities were monitoring religious schools where extremists had been recruited, including foreign students.

All schools must register, foreign students would need proper documentation, and the curriculum should go beyond religious subjects to include English, mathematics, science and Pakistan studies, he said.

The 59-year-old leader said the burden of responsibility had taken its toll and he had had to give up playing squash and tennis over a year ago.

“I got a frozen shoulder for the last few months. So I only go walking. I walk for about 45 minutes and then I swim. I do about 14 laps breaststroke.”—dpa/Reuters