The Election Commission is ready to hold local bodies elections in April 2005 as announced by President General Pervez Musharraf in his address to the nation on Thursday, Election Commission Secretary Kunwar Dilshad told Business Recorder here on Friday. In an exclusive interview, Kunwar Dilshad said that the process of revision of electoral rolls would be completed by January 15 after which the election process could be set in motion to hold elections on the stipulated dates.

He said that the Election Commission needs at least two months to complete the appointment of returning officers, polling staff, and make other arrangements for holding the elections.

The secretary confirmed that the Election Commission has received the notification of the National Assembly speaker accepting the resignation of Allama Tahirul Qadri from constituency NA-127, Lahore.

He said under the Constitution, the Election Commission is bound to hold by-elections within 60 days on the vacant seat.

He hoped that the by-elections on NA-127 would be held in the third week of February 2005.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005