Pakistan president, Pervez Musharraf, promised to hold elections on February 18 today in a televised announcement. Though Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party and husband of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, has agreed to participate in the elections, the country’s second-largest party, the Muslim League, called for the dissolution of the Musharraf government to ensure free and fair elections. 
“It is time President Musharraf and the Chief Election Commissioner resign and make way for a neutral caretaker government of national unity that will hold the elections,” said Muslim League spokesman Ahsan Iqbal.
The Hindu’s Nirupama Subramanian reported that the Muslim League will participate in the elections even if a neutral, caretaker government is not established.
Musharraf said that the army and a paramilitary group called the Pakistan Rangers would be deployed to maintain order during the elections. He added that the military will remain deployed after elections to “deal with ‘agitationists and troublemakers.’”
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