Pakistan elections set for January 8

Nov 20, 2007, 6:56 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistan's Election Commission on Tuesday set a January 8 date for national and provincial parliamentary elections.

The date was announced in Islamabad by Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq, who said parties must submit nomination papers before November 27 and that lists of approved candidates would be announced December 16.

The polls were likely to be held under continuing emergency rule after President Pervez Musharraf said the security situation in Pakistan did not allow him to lift it.

Thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested after the military ruler declared the emergency on November 3.

General Musharraf has rejected threats by opposition parties to boycott the polls in protest also of his failure to step down as Army chief despite calls at home and abroad for him to do so before starting a further term as president.

His disputed October 6 re-election victory was expected to be confirmed Thursday by the Supreme Court, which was dissolved and then reformed during the emergency with judges viewed as being more sympathetic to Musharraf's re-election.