Pakistan’s former ruling party says it will boycott the country’s upcoming Presidential election because it was not given enough time to campaign.
Raza Rabbani, who was nominated by the Pakistan People’s Party to run in the election, announced the decision on Friday after the election was moved forward a week to July 30.
Pakistan’s election commission originally set the election date as August 6. The Supreme Court agreed to change the date this week in response to concern by the current ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, that lawmakers would be on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia during the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Pakistan’s largely ceremonial President is not elected by popular vote, but by the lawmakers in the Senate, National Assembly and the Assemblies of the four provinces.
Published - July 26, 2013 01:35 pm IST
