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Pakistan’s president insists general election will be fair

By admin | January 26, 2008

PAKISTAN’S President Pervez Musharraf has dismissed concerns over the country’s forthcoming general election, insisting it will be “free, fair and peaceful”.
And he rejected suggestions that US troops could be brought in to root out al-Qaida extremists or guard nuclear weapons.

He was speaking in London yesterday after arriving for talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown next week.

Protesters gathered yesterday as Mr Musharraf, speaking at the Royal United Services Institute, said of the February 18 vote: “The election will be free, fair, transparent and peaceful.” To ensure this, international monitors would be on hand.

Mr Musharraf said he had a “very negative” attitude to the idea of sharing control over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons systems with American authorities – which has been floated amid growing turmoil in the country. And US troops would not be allowed on Pakistani soil to root out extremists or protect weapons.

Topics: Pakistan News |