Ending months of speculation, the Pakistan government has said President Pervez Musharraf would seek re-election for another five-year term from the present National and Provincial assemblies before they would be dissolved in November this year. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday.

“Hopefully, the present assemblies will complete their term and since the tenure of the president expires on November 15, his re-election will be sought from the present assemblies in accordance with constitutional provisions,” Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durani told reporters after the meeting.

He, however, did not say whether Musharraf would continue to hold the dual post of the Chief of Army staff as well as the head of state.

The cabinet was briefed on the constitutional and legal aspects of the presidential elections by a team of experts led by Aziz’s senior adviser Sharifuddin Pirzada, a Musharraf confidante.

The Pakistan President’s present five-year term would end almost a week before the completion of the tenures of the sitting assemblies on November 16, 2007.

“The cabinet was told that as per the constitution, the assemblies would complete their term on November 16. The president should be elected between September and October 2007 and the interim set-up will be put in place in line with the constitutional provisions,” Durani said.

The announcement of Musharraf’s re-election follows the conference of Crops Commanders held on January 16, which was addressed by him.

Musharraf’s election in a referendum in 2002 was endorsed by the present assemblies after general elections in the same year.

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