President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman on Sunday denied that the Pakistani leader made comments on upcoming elections that were attributed to him in a interview with Imran Khan's ex-wife. Britain's Independent on Sunday quoted Musharraf as saying that the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) party which supports him would "certainly have the majority" after Monday's vote.
"At no stage did President Pervez Musharraf say this or predict victory or a majority for a particular party," Musharraf's spokesman, Major General Rashid Qureshi, told AFP. "She asked the president whether he could predict what is going to happen in the polls, to which the president said nobody can predict what is going to happen," he added.
The interview with Jemima Khan, who split from the cricketer-turned-opposition politician in 2004, quoted Musharraf as saying: "Whether they'll be able to form a government is a question mark." Musharraf's spokesman retorted: "She is no journalist.
"She just wanted to meet him and in the meeting asked him a few questions initially related to Imran and then she said could you predict what is going to happen. "To which the president said it will be very difficult to predict because it is the choice of the people, whoever they vote for will win." Musharraf earlier this week promised that the parliamentary elections would be free, fair, transparent and peaceful. But opposition parties have alleged that the polls will be rigged in favour of Musharraf's allies.