Pakistan vote date set to be announced on Nov 21

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's election commission is likely to announce the date for general elections on November 21, the attorney general and officials said on Saturday.
    
President Pervez Musharraf has promised that the country will go to the polls before January 9, but the opposition is mulling a boycott if the vote is held under emergency rule.

"The provincial assemblies are completing their terms on the 20th so hopefully the schedule will be announced the following day," attorney general Malik Mohammed Qayyum told.

Pakistan's national assembly, or lower house of parliament, dissolved on Thursday but the four provincial assemblies have yet to do so. Elections must be held within 45-60 days of their dissolution.

A senior government official said: "The date is likely to be announced on November 21."

A spokesman for the election commission said it had summoned a meeting on November 19 to discuss the announcement of the schedule.

They will also finalise the code of conduct for the political process," the spokesman said.