Pakistan's opposition urges government to set election date

Major opposition parties in Pakistan on Wednesday called on the government to immediately announce date for parliamentary elections to put an end to the current political uncertainty, local media reported. The main opposition leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif invited leaders of other opposition parties to review the situation following the Supreme Court issued arrest warrant for Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on suspicion of corruption and the on-going anti-government protest in Islamabad led by a religious leader. Sharif and other opposition leaders told a news conference that announcement of date for the parliamentary elections will put an end to the current uncertainty. SharIf also demanded setup of the caretaker government for holding of elections. He urged President Asif Ali Zardari to act now as the situation could be out of control. The opposition leaders described the sit-in in Islamabad as unconstitutional, saying that all electoral reforms must be introduced through parliament. Pashtoon nationalist leader, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, said on the occasion that the opposition leaders have decided to defend the constitution at any cost.