2007 polls on schedule, will retain both posts: Mush
Islamabad,
Apr
21:
Asserting
''free
and
fair
elections''
would
take
place
on
schedule
this
year,
Pakistan
President
Gen
Pervez
Musharraf
firmly
denied
any
deal
with
the
Pakistan
People's
Party
for
the
polls
and
said
he
would
retain
both
his
posts
till
then
at
least,
reports
today
said.
''There's
no
deal
at
all
...
no
alliance,
no
deal
(with
the
PPP),''
he
said
in
an
interview
to
Arabic
TV
channel
'Al-Arabia',
the
state-run
Associated
Press
of
Pakistan
(APP)
reported.
''Elections
would
be
held
by
the
year's
end
in
free,
fair
and
transparent
manner,
and
political
action
could
be
considered
after
viewing
the
outcome,''
Gen
Musharraf
said,
adding
it
was
''election
year
and
we
will
follow
the
constitution
of
Pakistan.''
In
response
to
a
question,
the
President
said
he
would
retain
both
his
posts
till
the
elections
at
least.
''I
will
not
remove
the
uniform
till
the
election
because
I
have
been
constitutionally
allowed
to
remain
as
President
and
Chief
of
the
Army
Staff
till
the
end
of
the
year,''
he
said,
pointing
out
Parliament
had
decided
with
two-thirds
majority
that
he
could
keep
the
two
offices
at
the
same
time.
Gen
Musharraf
asserted
that
any
change
in
Pakistan
will
be
through
''political
process
by
the
people
of
Pakistan
and
not
by
any
outside
pressure.''
Replying
to
a
question
about
American
'doubting'
Pakistan
in
the
war
against
terrorism,
the
President
said
such
reports
were
''only
in
the
media''
and
said
that
his
country
and
the
US
have
''excellent
contacts''
at
the
official
level..
''We
(Pakistan
and
US)
have
excellent
intelligence
cooperation,
we
have
excellent
cooperation
at
the
strategical
and
operational
levels,''
he
maintained,
saying
there
was
'complete
understanding''
between
him
and
President
Bush.
So
there
is
no
doubting
on
Pakistan's
role
and
Pakistan's
importance
in
the
war
against
terrorism,
he
said,
admitting
there
could
be
certain
areas
where
there
could
be
difference
of
perception,
''but
that
does
not
mean
that
they
are
doubting
Pakistan's
role
in
war
against
terrorism
or
my
resolve
or
intention
to
fight
Taliban
or
extremists.''
''Pakistan
is
the
only
country
taking
concrete
measures
against
terrorism,''
he
said,
adding
they
were
''moving
on
four-prongs
to
control
this
situation
by
focusing
on
political,
military,
administrative
and
developmental
aspects.''
''No
other
person
or
country
is
doing
this
in
such
a
holistic
manner,''Gen
Musharraf
claimed.
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