Government will lift emergency rule "very soon" with President Pervez Musharraf keen to withdraw the measure before January elections, officials said on Wednesday. "I cannot give any exact date and time about lifting the emergency but I can say now that it will be lifted very soon," Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum told AFP.
The comment came after a private TV channel, quoting unidentified sources, reported that Musharraf - who stepped down as army chief on Wednesday - was set to end the November 3 state of emergency within 48 hours.
A senior government official earlier said that Musharraf wanted to lift the measure before January 8 elections but "is still weighing his options."