Islamabad (PTI): Pakistani media on Monday voiced concern over the holding of "free and fair" general elections in the country by January 9 as announced by President Pervez Musharraf, saying that they could be "stage-managed" under the emergency rule.
Hard-hitting editorials in leading English dailies cautioned that the General's pledge at a press meet on Sunday that this time he would stay above the political fray and be completely neutral in dealing with political parties "should be taken with a pinch of salt".
In its editorial, titled 'Wonderstruck in Islamabad', Pakistan's oldest English language newspaper, the 'Dawn' said, "The new scheme as announced casts a doubt on the credibility of the forthcoming elections" as "the government alone will be the judge of the qualifying provision".
"The holding of elections under emergency rule, continued blackout of independent news channels, suspension of civil liberties, preclusion of reinstatement of an independent judiciary and the paranoia that certain elements are out to create anarchy are indeed worrisome signs," the daily said.
Similarly, another leading daily 'The Nation' in its editorial said: "It would be hard to dispel the impression of a stage-managed affair without a free media, the freedom to hold public meetings, take out processions and do canvassing -- the traditional modes of electioneering." The newspaper, however, hoped that the elections won't be held under the emergency rule.
Agreeing with its rival the 'Dawn', English newspaper 'The News' also criticised the imposition of emergency on the Islamic nation and said that Musharraf had "appeared crumbling a little under domestic and external pressures" but he "held on to his guns".
Doubted Musharraf's insistence that "he had always stood by and for the Constitution" and demanding that the elections be held in normal conditions, the newspaper said the President had "failed to say when the emergency would be lifted and the Constitution restored".
"His actions of November 3 and after where he suspended the Constitution and where measures taken by his government have essentially made a mockery of all constitutional guarantees," the editorial said.