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ISLAMABAD : The head of President Pervez Musharraf's ruling party said in an interview published Wednesday that the military ruler is likely to lift the state of emergency in two to three weeks.
"I am sure it (emergency) will end in two to three weeks as President Pervez Musharraf is aware of the consequences of long emergency rule", Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was quoted as saying by Dawn, an English language daily.
Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Saturday citing "interference" by the judiciary along with a wave of Islamic militant attacks in the country.
"Nobody is in favour of emergency," Hussain told Dawn.
Hussain is one of Pakistan's most powerful politicians and is Musharraf's pointman in the political scene, but insiders say he is not part of the president's decision-making inner circle.
But he dismissed opposition claims that it amounted to virtual martial law, saying that army chief Musharraf had imposed the emergency reluctantly.
Asked if the government would postpone parliamentary elections, scheduled for January 2008, Hussain said: "Postponement may favour some individuals or parties but not us".
He also ruled out any pre-poll arrangement with former premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.
Hussain also rejected allegations by opposition parties that polls would not be held in a free, fair and transparent manner under Musharraf.
"Gone are the days when elections could be easily manipulated," he said. - AFP/ch
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