ISLAMABAD: Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that President Asif Ali Zardari would not resign before the end of his tenure nor would he contest for a second term of presidency.

In a press statement issued here on Monday, Babar said that Zardari would soon return to the country after his private visit to London, however, the spokesman stopped short of giving Zardari's schedule or arrival date due to security reasons.

The presidential spokesperson added that President Zardari would remain in the country even after the end of his term as president on September 8.

He also stated that the opposition parties in the national assembly had not decided to field a consensus candidate yet.

Moreover, Farhatullah Babar also said that Bilal Sheikh was the security head of Bilawal house and not the president's 'front-man.'

The statement comes amid speculation in the media regarding a breach in President's private security and the consequent diminishing prospects of his return to the country after the chief security officer of the president was killed in an attack in Karachi earlier this month.

Presidential election

A spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan said on Monday that the presidential elections were expected to be held in the first week of September.

In this regards, the ECP has written to the secretaries of all provincial assemblies, the National Assembly, and the Senate seeking a list of the respective members. The members' list would be used as the voters' list for the presidential election.

The Election Commission has also completed the printing of 500 two-paged nomination forms for the polls.

According to the constitution, presidential elections should be held "not earlier than sixty days and not later than thirty days before the expiration of the term of the President in office. Zardari's presidential term expires on September 8.