Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi on Saturday said the next general elections will be held according to schedule adding former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto cannot contest the elections.
Talking to reporters here, he said the present national and provincial assemblies will complete their tenure in November 16 this year, after which a caretaker set up would hold the elections. "None of the caretakers would be eligible to contest elections," the minister said.
Replying to a question, he said both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto have twice held the executive office and after the presidential ordinance, which bars any elected member from holding the prime minister's office for more than two terms, they cannot contest the elections. Sher Afgan said moreover, Benazir has been declared an absconder by the court while Nawaz Sharif went abroad after a deal with the government and the cases against him have been frozen for the time being. "Nawaz cannot return to Pakistan for ten years.," he added.