Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has asserted that the victory of General Musharraf for another term with thumping majority would lead the nation toward further stability and economic progress and prosperity.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Assembly after announcement of unofficial result of the presidential elections, as the Supreme Court has restrained the Election Commission to announce officials result till the decision of the petition challenging General Musharraf candidature before it, Chaudhry Pervaz Elahi informed that General Musharraf had obtained 44 votes under 5.7 calculation while the opposing candidate of President Musharraf Justice Wajih-u-Din (Retd) could not obtain a single vote.
He said he had all the respect for judiciary as well as the retired judges, but it was unfortunate that certain elements had dragged the retired justice into the race. He was of the view that General Pervez Musharraf had put solid base for democracy in which parliament despite all traditional hic-ups in politics was completing its five-year term.
He termed what he said, running away from democratic process, an unwise step and urged all the democratic forces to play their role in democratic process bravely. He said that the entire nation had rejected politics of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) by not paying heed to their call of agitation on polling day.
The chief minister said that there were no markets closed in the city as well as the province on their call on Saturday.