The government has ruled out calling a snap election to lift itself out of a political crisis brought on by President Pervez Musharraf's move to oust the country's top judge, a senior official told Reuters.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday a general election would take place after the national and provincial assemblies complete their term in mid-November.
Musharraf wants the present parliament to re-elect him as president before it is dissolved, while he is still army chief, the official said. Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, is supposed to quit the military post by the end of 2007. He could retain it if he mustered a two-thirds majority in the new assembly, but sources close to him said he was more likely to become a civilian president.
"The elections will be held according to schedule, although some politicians were saying it should be brought forward," the official said.
How this turbulent Muslim nation emerges from a crucial year is of keen interest to the United States and Nato allies with troops in Afghanistan, as Pakistani support is key to their success in fighting a Taliban insurgency.
Ideally, according to analysts, Washington would like to see Musharraf remain a strong enough president to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal lands on the Afghan border, and to pursue a 3-1/2-year-old peace process with India.
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