Raising hopes of revival of democracy in Pakistan ahead of the October 10 polls, the top brass of the Army has reportedly decided to hand over power to the elected government on October 22, even as campaigning for the elections ended today with mainstream political parties promising to reform the Army, shut down political wing of the ISI and repeal the constitutional amendments brought in by President Pervez Musharraf.A meeting of the corps commanders of the Pakistan Army, presided by Musharraf on Monday at the Army headquarters at Rawalpindi, decided to transfer power to an elected government on October 22, soon after the Constitution of the new National Assembly. Musharraf said the new Parliament would have authority to amend the Constitution.Around 72 million people would exercise their right to franchise to elect the 342-member National Assembly and four provincial assemblies to elect new governments that would formally end the 3-year military rule.Voting begins at 0800 hrs ending at 1730 hrs in all four provinces while counting begins on Oct 11.The new government is expected to take over by Oct 20.The Army has been put on alert and over 200,000 police, paramilitary personnel and anti-terrorist commandos would be deployed on polling stations in the country on polling day.Authorities have declared 30 of the 119 districts as sensitive while Port city of Karachi is on high alert. Helicopters will maintain vigil over 827 sensitive polling stations in the NWFP bordering Afghanistan.Electioneering starting in the middle of the last month remained dull due to uncertainty over the elections process. It, however, picked during the past two days after pre-poll surveys predicted good turn out and a narrow majority for the Pakistan People’s Party parliamentarians led by self-exiled former PM Benazir Bhutto.Sensing an opening, Bhutto, who was disqualified from contesting the polls stepped up her campaign by addressing a number of press conference with Pakistan media and public meetings via satellite phone. Bhutto told a press meet in Peshawar and later a public meeting in Lahore that she would reform the Army and end its interference in the country’s politics if voted to power.‘‘The PPPP wants professional generals and not the ruling generals . we’ll disband the ISI’s political cell if the PPPP comes to power since the ISI doesn’t need this cell,” she said.Bhutto also accused the Army regime of giving a free hand to the Taliban. ‘‘The birth of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, terrorism, 9/11 and subsequent devastation of that country is the result of policies of Pakistani generals,’’ Bhutto said.PPPP has fielded highest number of 232 candidates to contest the National Assembly.The Pakistan Muslim League headed by another exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif too stepped up its electioneering in the past few days.Addressing a meeting in Rawalpindi last night, Sharif loyalist and party chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said his party would undo all the constitutional amendments brought in by Musharraf.Other major political contenders are grand national alliance consisting of various pro-Musharraf political parties, the six party religious alliance Muthaihida Majlis Amal, (MMA) and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan-led Tehrik-E-Insaf. Around 200 international observers from over 50 countries would monitor the polls.
