Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to postpone the January 8 polls in view of the situation in the country after the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and will announce new dates for national and provincial Assembly elections on Monday, a senior official of the commission said.
"Today in an informal meeting the senior officials of the ECP discussed the situation and unrest in the country and concluded that elections will have to be postponed," said the official requesting anonymity.
He said that the formal decision in this regard will be announced on Monday after a meeting with government and security officials.
After Saturday's meeting the ECP released a press statement saying that the election scheduled next month had been "adversely affected" by unrest in the country and that it would hold an urgent meeting on Monday.
After opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination, another candidate was killed in a bomb blast on Friday.
The commission said in its statement: "All activities pertaining to pre-poll arrangements, including printing of ballot papers and logistics as well as training of polling personnel, have been adversely affected."
In some places, the commission said, the security situation was "not conducive" to holding the elections on January 8. "Election Commission offices in nine districts have been set on fire, leaving electoral rolls reduced to ashes."
Benazir Bhutto had returned to Pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile to take part in the poll.
After Bhutto's assassination, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz - the country's other major party - has already announced boycott of the polls.
Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has said it will decide about taking part in the polls on Sunday evening after prayers for Bhutto three days after her death.
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Bhutto assassination sparks riots, 38 killed
Mass rioting following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has led to the deaths of 38 people and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage, the government said on Saturday.
Rioters destroyed 176 banks, 72 train cars and 18 rail stations, said Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema. At least 100 prisoners were sprung from jails, he said.
Speaking at a news conference, Cheema reiterated the government's claim that Islamic militant leader Baitullah Mehsud was behind Bhutto's killing, despite Mehsud's denials.
''We have the evidence that he is involved,'' Cheema said. ''Why should he (Mehsud) accept that he has done it. It does not suit him. I don't think anybody has the capability to carry out such suicide attacks except for those people.''
Cheema said Pakistan did not need foreign help to probe the killing.
''This is not an ordinary criminal matter in which we require assistance of the international community. I think we are capable of handling it,'' he said.
Cheema also responded to reports by Bhutto aides that the former prime minister was killed by gunshot wounds and not by the force of a subsequent suicide attack as the government said.
''We gave you absolute facts, nothing but the facts,'' he said. ''It was corroborated by the doctors' report. It was corroborated by the evidence collected.''
''It is immaterial as to how she died. What is more important is who are the people who killed her,'' he said.
He said Bhutto's party was free to exhume her body if they wanted and conduct a post mortem.
(With AP inputs)
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