Islamabad, Oct 10: Confirming that he would transfer all the executive powers to the party which emerges victorious in today's polls, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf indicated the new civilian administration would be installed in the first week of November. "The power will be transferred to any party which will emerge victorious in elections," Musharraf told reporters after casting his vote along with wife Sheba at a polling booth in Rawalpindi this morning.

The process would take place in the first week of November and "power transfering will be in a normal way," he said in reply to a question on how he proposed to hand over power to a civilian administration. Last night, while addressing the nation, he said he would continue as president but hand over executive powers held by him as chief executive to the newly elected prime minister. However, he would retain the powers to dismiss the Parliament in order to keep it as a check to prevent the government from indulging in corrupt practices.

In his brief interaction with the media at the polling booth, Musharraf also expressed satisfaction over the polling process and said barring a single incident of violence in interior Sindh and two minor incidents in Punjab the polling went off smoothly all over the country. One person was killed and six others were injured in a clash between supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party and national alliance in Naushehro Feroz in Sindh. "I have received reports from across the country and the overall situation is peaceful," he said.


Bureau Report